Snippets
by anilkex
Summary: Technically a sequel to Quantum AU. Snippets will feature the moments between the Winchesters as Kate adjusts to being back in her own reality. Each chapter will feature a different conversation, a different issue, a different interaction. You need to read Quantum AU to understand this story. Go check it out, if you haven't! Third Winchester AU. Rating it T because, duh.
1. Chapter 1

**_So...Snippets are the little conversations and moments Kate is having with her family since returning from Uriel's curse. I strongly feel they need to be shared, but they had no place tagged on to the end of Quantum AU. It would've been a series of dangling epilogues. Consider this a bridge story between Quantum AU and the sequel, Mesh, will should start appearing sometime in December._**

 ** _ALSO - for anyone at the Chicago Supernatural Convention - I'd love to say meet you! PM me if you're here, or look for the awkward chick with a pencil stuck in her hair._**

* * *

John stood at the back door, coffee mug in hand, watching his daughter stare at the yard from her perch on the Impala. He wished the coffee was beer, or at least spiked with something stronger than half-and-half, but it was barely seven in the morning, and justifying the drink was a bit of a stretch.

Even for him.

Bobby joined him, solemnly watching the scene outside. "What's she doin' now?"

John shrugs with one shoulder, taking a sip before answering. "I dunno...looking at something, but I don't know what. She's been there a couple hours."

Bobby's eyebrows shot up. "A couple hours? She was up at three when I went to the bathroom. When the fuck's she sleepin'?"

Another shrug, and a sigh. "I don't know, Bob. I'm...I dunno." He dropped his eyes to the swirling cream in his mug. "I don't think she is, and I don't know what to do to help her...some days she's just so fucking lost. She looks at me like…" He huffed, pissed that his eyes are tearing up. "She looks like she's afraid of me. Other times it's like she can't believe I'm here, like I've been gone for years."

Bobby put a hand on his shoulder. "Because you were."

John sniffed, nodding. "I know...I know, and that just...the fact that someone decided to take her from us like this...to take _us_ from _her_...I just…" His grip on the mug tightened, and he felt his chest do the same.

Bobby shoved his hands in his pocket, rocking back on his heels. "I feel the same way."

John's gaze darted to his old friend. "I know you do...she's as much yours as she is mine. Hell...probably more."

That was the first time John openly acknowledged the major role Bobby played in his daughter's life, and it caught the old hunter off guard. "She's still your daughter, John." John shrugged. "Any case, I'm gettin' the same looks. She wanders around, leaving little post-it notes everywhere...to remind her where she is, she said. How fucked up is that?" Bobby choked up a little, but cleared his throat and continued. "I don't know what to do for her either, other than what we're already doin'. Reminding her we're here...not push…"

John took a deep breath, and let it out slowly, nodding. "I still wanna know what this is, though." He gestures at Kate with his mug, still sitting on the car, head tilted, staring at the empty field.

"She's afraid."

Both men jump, as Castiel appeared on the back porch, hands in his pocket, eyes also staring at her...at the human he loved.

"Afraid of what, Cas?" John's tone left no room for question - he was ready to start killing things.

"It's unclear." Castiel's eyes swivel to the worried men. "But that's why she isn't sleeping. I can...talk with her, if you'd like."

John raised an eyebrow, wiping his mouth with the back of one hand. "Why're you even asking?"

Bobby squinted at him. "If you can help, do it. You don't need to ask, son."

Castiel marveled at how they insist on referring to him as 'son' or 'boy', when in fact, he's a millennia older than them. He sighed. "Actually, I do need to ask. Normally I would just …" He sighed again, turning away from their confused looks. "I'll speak with her. Don't worry." He blinked. "Well, don't worry more."

Then, he disappeared.

 **xxxxx**

Kate sat, cross-legged on the Impala, watching the grass before her. Castiel took care to keep himself hidden as he studied her. She was exhausted, but wired, as if waiting for something...or someone.

The sight of her wounded him, and in that moment, he relaxed his guard just a little...but just enough.

"I have to be careful," she whispered, eyes still riveted on the ground, but he knew she addressed him.

Castiel tilted his head at her. "For what, Kate?"

Her eyes slid to him. "Lucifer."

His eyebrows rose.

She resumed watching the field, continuing in that broken whisper. "I have to be careful because...because I know the spell to open the Cage. What if I...what if I say it in my sleep? What if I accidentally do something to set him free?"

The urge to comfort her fueled him to take a step closer. "Without the Horsemen's rings, the spell is useless."

She shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping. "That's the rule over _there_. But I'm not _there_ anymore, I'm _here_ , and the rules could be different here." Wild, eyes turned to him. "I can't take that chance."

He stepped even closer. "Kate…"

" _You don't understand!_ " Her face contorts in agony, tears filling her eyes. Her voice breaks as she yells, and Castiel had to mentally warn her distraught fathers to stay inside. "If he gets out, he'll go for Sam. I _can't…_ " She broke off sobbing, covering her mouth with the back of one hand. "I can't let that happen. He...I have to protect him. I have to. _I have to._ "

Castiel's close enough to touch her, but he kept his hands tucked in his coat, not wanting to scare her, not wanting to cause more trouble. "The prophecies were altered, Kate."

She snorted bitterly there, hastily wiping at her eyes and returning to stare at the field. "That's on me, too."

He let that one go for now. "We don't know that Sam is his vessel. Nothing is certain."

"Then it's even more important that I keep him safe." She shuddered as she slid off the car and onto her knees in the grass. "I saw him, Cas. _I saw him_ in Sam. It was...beyond any horror I could imagine. He got Sam _there_ , and it killed him. I can't... _I won't_...take that chance here. I won't…"

He knelt next to her. "You cannot live like this…"

She threaded her fingers through the grass, squeezing handfuls in her fists. " _What do I do?_ " The plea was barely a whisper, tears now flowing freely down her face, her breathing erratic, her entire being on edge.

Slowly, Castiel slid an angel blade from inside his coat and laid it on the ground before her. For a second, her eyes glinted as she gazed on the weapon that could give her what she needed more than anything: hope.

"Speak the spell, Kate."

She looked over sharply. "What?"

"Speak it." He pulled a second blade. "And we'll deal with what happens. Together."

There wasn't anything else he could offer her. He knew the spell wouldn't work, but she needed that knowledge, not him.

Her tongue darted across her lips, her hand inched close to the blade's hilt, until it was firmly grasped. "Cas…"

"We'll handle it... _together_. Now, do it."

She leaned forward, one hand gripping the blade, the other holding the grass tight. " _Bvtmon Tabges Babalon."_

For a second, Castiel held his breath.

Nothing happened.

Kate seemed to deflate, sinking to the ground, until she lie there, quietly crying in relief.

Biting his lip, Cas laid down next to her.

He extended a long, black wing, still stiff and singed from his journey to Hell. Some feathers wire missing, others dangled awkwardly. Reaching toward her, it gently brushed the hair off her face, dried her tears, caressing her cheek.

They stayed there, until she fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Kate sat on the old couch in the back of Bobby's garage, watching her father tinker with his truck. It was a good day, so conversation was an option, and John was curious.

John was _also_ trying hard to stay calm.

He was _really_ struggling.

"So, she looked good?" He casually wiped his hands on a rag before rolling himself under the vehicle, where, cleverly, his face was hidden.

Kate answered softly, knowing how he felt and not wanting to upset him more. "She looked great, Dad." She paused. "Well...two of the times she looked great. Wait. Technically, three, but the one time we were in Heaven, so I'm not sure that counts."

John wheeled himself out from under the truck to eyeball her. "How many times did you meet her?" He tried not to be jealous or upset.

He was struggling with _that_ , too.

"Four, I think. The first time...she... _hated_ me." Kate frowned at the memory, and started that fidgety thing she'd been doing lately, where she mangled the hem of her shirt, wringing her hands together. "That one was... _totally_ fucked up. But the other times, yeah, she was...she was great."

John was at a loss for words, so he rolled himself back underneath, pretending to wrench something while blinking back tears.

"You know what's really messed up?" she asked.

John quickly wiped his eyes and rolled out _again_ , dumping the tools in a box and sitting up to see her better. Who's he kidding? He wasn't fixing the truck today. "What?"

Her eyes were on her hands, twisting and tugging the fabric of her shirt which hung too loosely on her. "I want to tell you I'm sorry...that...I'm sorry I got to see her and you didn't. But at the same time, I...I'm so fucking glad it wasn't you stuck in that spell." She raised her eyes to his. "You know what I mean?"

He took a deep breath. "I'd rather none of us had to deal with it, frankly. I...don't know that I could've...I mean, she..." He stopped there, unable to continue for a minute.

"I'm sorry, Dad," she said, "I really am."

Sighing, John stood, moving to sit with her. He dropped heavily onto the couch, prompting her to scoot a little, her hands still twisted in her shirt. He gently pried them loose, rubbing his finger along their backs before bringing them to his lips, kissing them quickly. "There's nothing to apologize for, and you know it, Kate." He squeezed before letting go, catching her look of surprise at this level of affection.

"What?" He huffed, feeling how red his cheeks were getting.

She shook her head a little, a half smile on her lips. "Nothing," she whispered. "I'm just..." It bothered him that she was still getting used to him being alive. He really needs to kill that angel.

She lowered her eyes and sighed. "There are a couple things I need to tell you."

 _Oh, shit_ , John thought, scrubbing the top of his head and taking a decent sized breath. _He could do this_. "Okay..."

"First off...Mary...in one of the jumps...told me to give you a message."

 _Double fucking shit._

Kate looked up, tears in her eyes, her voice breaking a little. "It was...um...a reality so close to ours, I actually thought I was home. Everything...everything was the same, except...except _she_ was in the kitchen with Bobby, not you."

"With _Bobby?_ With Bobby, _how?_ " Really, John? _That_ was the first thing that popped into your head?

Kate chuckled through some tears, shaking her head. "Honestly? I don't know. She was just there - standing in the kitchen next to him when I showed up. I mean, she lived there, but they didn't act like they were a thing."

Oh. Well. _That's_ okay, right? "So...what…? I mean…"

"I had to tell them who I was - that I wasn't…I wasn't their Kate. Their Castiel came and backed me up, and it was really tense for the first day. But Mary...she...she made me feel a lot better. She was so...nice."

The corner of John's mouth rose a little. "That was Mary," was all he said.

The only person he could now talk to about his wife, was his daughter, born after Mary's death. What the fuck kind of life was he living? _Their own sons_ didn't know her. John's eyes pooled with tears, and he found himself mangling his own shirt in an effort to keep them at bay.

 _Don't cry._ _ **Don't fucking cry**_ _while your daughter is sitting right there._

"We talked. She...asked all about you - what you were doing, how you were." Kate paused, wiping her eyes. "She told me to take care you, and she said to tell you that...that she loves you, that she'd _always_ love you..."

 _Failed._

John's throat tightened, and he swallowed convulsively. The first tear fell against his will. The rest followed as if no restraint existed in the first place.

She leaned against him, letting him hold on and cry. John never grieved like this. He spent too much time being angry, lost, and desperate, needing to take care of his children more than he needed to take care of himself. Sometimes, John wondered...if he had taken the time, would he be the same person today? Would the boys?

 _Just don't make the same mistake now._

Kate burrowed close, gripping him tight. "It's okay, Dad. It's okay..."

He let her comfort him, until he was able to pull himself together, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. She produced Kleenex, shrugging a shoulder as she handed it over. "Dean keeps shoving them at me, so..." She kind of shrugged again, politely averting her eyes as John blew his nose and cleaned up his face.

He tossed the used tissues into the garbage can, sniffing one last time. "You know...I can't change what happened. I want to, but...that means I wouldn't have you, and...I can't give you up." He leaned over, kissing the top of her head.

John didn't have a ton of fatherly moments he could hang his hat on, but that statement, he was sure, was one of them.

But instead of a smile, Kate's face fell, and she swallowed hard, looking away, lost in thought.

"Kate…?" Once again, John wished he could see inside her head, and understand what was going on in there.

She faced him again, and smiled, but it quickly faded. "There's more..."

 _More?_ "More what?"

"There's no real good way to say this..."

 _That's_ _ **never**_ _good..._

She looked up at him. "In every reality I met her...Mary hunted."

John blinked.

Kate shifted in her seat, facing him. "And...in the last one, where I stayed a couple years...Sam and Dean confirmed that her whole family hunted. She...she quit when you two ran off to get married."

John blinked again.

Kate raised her eyebrows. "Dad?"

John wasn't sure how to react; the warm/fuzzy memory bliss from a moment ago was suddenly replaced by a need to be defensive...or aggressive...or maybe both. "What are you saying?"

She held up her hands. "I'm just saying...maybe we should check. I mean... Over there, Mary made a deal with Azazel, and - "

 _Enough_. "Stop right there."

Kate's mouth clamped shut, her jaw clenched.

"I know Mary." John's voice shook, his finger pointing at her. "There's _no way_ \- "

She was ready for him. "Listen to me." _John's_ jaw clenched. "The boys went back in time... _met_ her. Met _you_. Dean was there when you got the Impala. Samuel and Deanna Campbell _hunted_. You should at least investigate, Dad, just to see."

John stood up, pacing, his hands in his hair, sliding to lock behind his head. The idea that his Mary hunted was ludicrous. Maybe in some other fucked up reality, she had to encounter the shit he has faced. But here?

No. Fucking. Way.

Standing still, he slowly shook his head. There was a lot he'd sit and listen to, but this wasn't one of them.

Without looking back, without acknowledging Kate at all, John walked out of the garage.

 **xxxxx**

Bobby sat at his desk, rifling through a stack of papers he'd been purposefully ignoring. Sometimes it was hard to remember that he owned and ran an actual business, and it had absolutely nothing to do with killing monsters.

Adam was off with some friends from college, which was partly why this paperwork needed Bobby's attention. The kid didn't want to leave because of Kate's whole... _thing_...going on, but this camping trip had been planned for a while, and it was good for him to get out and maybe not think about shit for a while.

Bobby pretended that Adam's constant texting (asking how Kate was doing, whether Bobby finally paid the towing company) wasn't interfering with Adam's not thinking about shit for a while.

So engrossed in scanning over a recent order, Bobby missed the _Pissed Off John Winchester_ sounds until they were practically on top of him.

"I can't _fucking_ _believe_...of all the _fucking_ _fucked_ _up_ shit we have going on, that was _the_ most _fucked_ up piece of bullshit I've _ever_ fucking heard."

Bobby's eyes scroll up to find John pacing the library, alternating between draining and waving around a bottle of beer, while muttering under his breath. Bobby sighed on the inside, setting the order form on top of another pile, and wetting his lips. "What's with all the potty talk?"

John snorted, taking a healthy pull on the bottle, swallowing before answering. "Kate. She said Mary, _my Mary_ , was a hunter."

Bobby's eyebrows raised.

"I know! It's ridiculous. Kate's delirious. Or something. She's mixing wherever she was with now, and she's gotta...she's gotta stop. This went too far."

Bobby thoughtfully ran his tongue back and forth over his teeth. "Where's Kate now?"

John tosses a half-assed look over his shoulder. "Garage. Jesus Christ, we were married! It wasn't always...perfect...but…" He faced Bobby, pointing with the bottle. " _She was my wife_."

Bobby nodded, leaning back in his chair. "I know, that's just... _fuck_ , John. What should we do? Who do we check with to see if it's true, here?"

John froze, bottle poised on his lips. "What are you talking about?"

Bobby fired back a _What Do You Mean?_ look.

"She was _my wife_ , Bob. I'd have known if she was a hunter, for Christ's sake! Maybe she...maybe she hunted in those _other_ places, but she _sure as fuck_ didn't hunt here!"

Bobby took off his cap, fully grasping the situation at hand. He nodded slowly. "You're right - because back then, you knew all the signs." John began sputtering, but Bobby cut him off. "I mean, naturally, you'd know what to look for, because you had extensive training and experience, right? And given all the fucked up crap we've seen, the weird and the bizarre woven together - " John shook his head, like Bobby didn't understand his point, but Bobby kept going. " - of course you'd instantly recognize something amiss, something that didn't add up."

Bobby got to his feet, walking around his desk, to lean against the other side, just so he was ready, in case, say, John Winchester decided to get angry. Angri _er_. "And what weird and bizarre event could possibly flag a hunter's senses and make him look more closely?" He pulled at his beard. "I dunno...maybe...maybe demon blood in your son?"

It was a bit heavy, and perhaps a tiny bit rude, but Bobby knew, without a doubt, that Kate was left hanging in the garage, and that was a whole other mess that'd need to be cleaned up. Bobby knew John loved her, but sometimes, John's head was shoved so far up his ass, he forgot to take his children into consideration before spewing and doing.

To make this already volatile situation more fun, Dean and Sam walked in, Sam's face paling at the mention of demon blood.

"What's going on?" Dean asked, eyes swiveling between Bobby's defensive stance against his desk and John's murderous look.

Without taking his eyes off John, because Bobby's not stupid, he answered, "Just chatting with your dad. Kate told him your mom knew about hunting in some of the worlds she was in. In fact, she was a hunter herself."

Sam's jaw dropped open. "Holy shit - that...that would explain a lot!"

Dean turned on him. "Dude! There's no way Mom was a hunter!"

John plastered a satisfied smirk on his face. _See?_ But it was soon wiped right off.

Dean's forehead wrinkled up just as Sam geared up for an almighty protest. "Well, hold on. I mean...did Kate say she knew Mom was a hunter _here?_ Or just in those other places?"

Sam nodded, looking proud that his brother didn't leap off a cliff because of a gut feeling. John wasn't as proud that his only potential ally flipped sides.

"Dad?"

Oh - that was for him. John opened his mouth, then shut it, as he replayed his conversation with Kate over in his mind. He glanced at Bobby, who patiently waited for John's rational brain to catch up. "No, she... _no_. She just said we should probably...check...and…"

He stopped there, shoulders sagging, guilt seeping into his _everything_. " _Fuck_."

Figuring the coast was clear, Bobby walked over, placing a hand on John's shoulder. "Go talk to her."

John cringed, knowing Bobby was right. He held up his beer. "Gonna need a couple more, first."

Bobby snorted. "Probably need more than beer."

John sighed. That was the truth.

Sam held up a hand. "Hold on, talk to who?"

Bobby rolled his eyes. "You know another girl that lives here?"

Huffing, Sam pulled out his bitchface and faced his dad. "What'd you say to her?"

It didn't matter that John knew he was in the wrong. Any time Sam used that snippy tone coupled with that fucking look, John was instantly irritated. Before he could retort, the back door creaked open, and everyone froze as Kate walked in.

Startled at the sudden audience, she flinched as the full force of everyone's gaze hit her. Her eyes went flat. "What's going on?"

No one moved, then all eyes locked on John, waiting.

 _Double Fuck._

Swallowing hard, John ran a hand over his mouth. Rolling his shoulders, he faced his daughter. "We should...probably start looking at the whole Campbell family, starting with her dad…"


	3. Chapter 3

When Bobby saw the dim light shining in his study, he sighed, knowing what, or rather, who, he'd find inside.

Sure enough, Kate sat in a chair, knees against her chest, feet tucked underneath. A bottle of Scotch lounged nearby, a glass half full of the amber liquid cradled in her hands.

Christ - _half full?_ And wait...the bottle was mostly empty, too.

 _Balls_.

He watched her bring the glass to her lips, taking a healthy swallow. Bobby didn't miss the way her hands shook.

Clearing his throat, Bobby carefully walked toward her. "Hey, Missy…"

She didn't give much of a sign that she heard him. Instead, she downed the rest of her glass, barely glancing over her shoulder as he approached.

"Mind if I join you?" It was after two in the morning, and while Bobby knew she barely slept anymore, he was a bit surprised to find her pouring booze down her throat.

She gestured grandly. "Help yourself."

Like a good Winchester, she didn't even sound like she had a shit ton of whiskey in her.

After pouring himself a glass, Bobby settled behind his desk, watching her over the rim as he sipped. She looked terrible - still underweight, haggard, haunted, sick. He mulled over what to say when she surprised him with an opening.

"She's dead, now."

Unexpected, but still an opening. He set down his glass and leaned back. " _Who's_ dead?"

Kate's eyes stayed on her glass, avoiding Bobby. "Me. My other me. One of my me's."

Good thing that got cleared up.

"In one of your...jumps?"

She nodded, finally raising her eyes to his. They filled with tears, and the look of devastation on her face made _him_ want to cry. "It's been over a year. She has to be dead. She just...has to and I don't think I could've stopped it, because when I got there she was already kissing him, but maybe...maybe if I realized sooner what was going on, I coulda stopped the deal."

Frowning, Bobby tried to piece this together. Getting information out of Kate these days was hard enough. Getting it out of a drunk, distraught Kate was a real challenge.

"So...one of your...you's...made a deal with a Crossroads Demon? And you landed there right at the finish line?"

She nodded again, saluting him with her glass. "You're so smart, Bobby. That's one of the things I missed about you. You always know, you always...fucking _know…_ " She moved to take a sip, her head retreating, forehead furrowing, when she realized her glass was empty. Bobby poured her another, which she dove into immediately.

Jesus, he should've cut her off.

Bobby knew better than to defend Kate to Kate. Right now, that wasn't gonna work or matter. So he chose to dig for details instead. "What was the deal?"

She drained the glass, licking her lips. "Traded my soul for Mary."

 _What the…_

"You...she... _what?_ "

"Yup." She put her glass on his desk and ran a trembling hand across her mouth. "Was twelve...figured...figured Mary could fix things, you know? 'Cuz I...couldn't."

She tucked her hands into her sleeves, staring off in space, while Bobby mulled this over. He remembered when she was twelve. Her family was a fucking train wreck. John drank all the time, and when he wasn't drinking, he hunted non-stop, dragging the kids all over the country.

Bobby shook himself. The only thing he could think of, was, "It wasn't you, though, Kate. It may have been _a_ Kate Winchester, but it wasn't _you_."

He felt pretty good about that simple truth, so he took a large sip from his glass.

"I know, Bobby. I got turned down, here."

He spit out his drink. " _What?!_ "

She laughed, bitter mixed with a little bit of hysteria. "I know. Couldn't...couldn't even make a deal. _She_ made one without a problem. _I_ got the reject button." She reached for the bottle, but Bobby swiped it, putting it behind him on a shelf.

"What _the fuck_ are you talkin' about?" He must have misheard her, or misunderstood. She couldn't have tried to make a deal. There was no way…

She shot him this look, and he knew.

 _She did._

"You tried to make a deal with a demon...for real?" Bobby tried to wrap his brain around this bombshell, but it was _really_ fucking hard.

The first tears fell, wetting her cheeks. She wiped them away, but more followed, making the whole wiping process ineffectual. In a battered whisper, she said, "I never told you. I never told you, and I'm so sorry, because I should've...I should've thought of you. And I didn't. _I didn't._ I was so focused on them, and not you, and it should've been about you, too, and I'm so sorry, Bobby, I'm sorry, please, _please_ don't be mad…" She lost it then, sobbing uncontrollably, wringing her hands and repeating her apology over and over again.

It took Bobby a few seconds to catch up. His kid was sobbing her eyes out and all he could think, was _What the Goddamn Fuck Did She Do?_

He gave her a minute to calm down.

He gave _himself_ a minute to calm down.

He was gonna need more than a minute.

When the crying slowed, and she seemed capable of talking, Bobby decided to get some answers. "You need to explain what the hell you're talking about, and make sure you don't leave anything out." He thought he sounded tough, but his hands shook as he wiped the spit whiskey off a book on Celtic lore.

Kate wiped her face and rested her head on her knees. Bobby was ready to demand more answers when she sighed, stood, and went to the window. This time, he followed her, crossing his arms and standing next to her.

"Both realities were pretty identical, at least from what I saw. I landed there right as the demon kissed her...me...to lock in the deal." She spoke softly, coherently, wistfully. Again, no sign of the alcohol she'd consumed. That would be a problem at some point. "Over here, I got turned down. Demon said it wasn't my time to make a deal like that, even though he wanted to. Badly. The idea of taking a Winchester was apparently really appealing."

Bobby pressed his lips together.

"Anyway, I just cried my way back to the shithole apartment, feeling like a big failure, and went back to our crappy life. Over there...I had one year to live, and Mary was showing up on our doorstep at any moment. I knew...I knew what they were doing at home, because it was so similar, and that I had to be the one to break the news to Dad." She huffed. "It was gonna be really hard to explain how his dead wife was suddenly back."

Bobby ran a hand over his face, pulling at his chin, wanting to leave, but needing to hear this out. "Missy...I just…"

She turned to him, anguish and regret on her face. "I know. Looking back, I'm like... _holy shit_ \- what the fuck was I thinking? But that's...that's after ten years of living. Back then? I know _exactly_ what I was thinking. I was _twelve_. I was watching my family disintegrate. I needed it fixed, and that was the only way I could think of to fix it. I...took you for granted, and didn't even stop, and…" She sighed. "You didn't need fixing, Bobby, so you weren't on my radar." He raised an eyebrow. "At least, you didn't project it, okay? I know it's not fair, but...that's what it was."

He sighed, fiddling with his cap, trying to be more understanding than pissed to high hell, because he _was_ understanding. But he was also pissed.

Her shoulders slumped, and she wearily rubbed her eyes. "I need another drink," she mumbled.

Bobby let out a snort. "I think you've had enough."

She snorted right back. "Dean Winchester's coping mechanism is good enough for him, and it's good enough for me."

It took him a second, but Bobby figured she wasn't talking about _his_ Dean.

She sighed. "Look - I should've told you sooner, but there was no deal, so I wasn't in a hurry to get in trouble for trying."

Bobby sighed back at her. "That's not the point, Kate. I just...I don't really know what to say to this. You growing up thinkin' that you needed to be replaced is so…"

Kate shoved her hands in her hair. "Doesn't matter. Funny part, is that now...I'm glad the deal wasn't made. I'm glad I'm still here." Bobby put a hand on her shoulder. "But I also know...I wasn't supposed to be here at all; that just existing screwed with prophecies."

Bobby froze as she faced him, a tortured look on her face. "Sometimes, Bobby," she whispered, "Sometimes I wish I stayed dead. That maybe that would've put things back on track." She shrugged. "I know it wouldn't, but those Trials really fucked with my head. Some nights, I just think...Mary'd be a better option than dealing with my shit. Even for you."

She smiled this rueful little smile that shattered his heart, before abruptly turning and walking upstairs.


	4. Chapter 4

_**The Dreaded A/N: I … have a problem. I received a request for some Adam whumpage in the Third Winchester AU. Consequently, a plot formed in my head that I could not ignore. As a result, the remainder of Snippets will still be chapter based, but with one plot arc. I'll weave in the conversations, which was the original purpose of Snippets, but I like where this story is going. So. Hope you like it, because I need to write this.**_

 _ **Kate...**_

The back door banged shut, followed by a cheerful, "I'm home!"

My hand automatically rested on his scar (that's what I called it, now), as the tension from the last few days eased out of me. _Logically_ , I knew Adam was fine, that he'd been on a well-deserved trip with friends. _Unlogically_ , if that's even a word, his absence meant he was _gone_ gone - in the Cage or dead or a ghoul and _nonononono_.

Dad squeezed my shoulder, sensing my unease, while rising to greet his son. Adam stepped into the living room, and with one glance, I knew everything was fine. His cheeks were a healthy pink, his face lit up with his boyish grin, and he looked very much _not_ dead.

His eyes scanned the room as he waved and smiled. When they landed on me, his smile got wider.

 _Helloooooo_ , baby brother.

I smiled back, pushing myself to my feet only to immediately get crushed in a massive hug. "Hey there, kiddo," I grunted, trying to catch my breath while being smushed.

Adam buried his face in my neck. "Hey...how're you doing?"

Rolling my eyes, I pushed him off and straightened my hair with an exaggerated gesture. "I'm awesome, as usual." This gal knew how to lie. "How was your trip?"

He snorted, dropping his bag into a corner and popping his back.

 _Ewwww…_

"Good! It was cool to see the guys, and just, you know, hang out for a while."

Dad clapped him on the shoulder. "Hungry?"

"Starving!"

"C'mon...I think there are leftovers. How'd the car run?"

They strolled into the kitchen, chatting about smoothness of ride or something, leaving me alone as my brain played catch-up, resyncing in the here and now.

Uneven footsteps on the stairs announced Dean's arrival, ending with a _thump_ at the bottom. "Adam's home?" He asked, eyes flickering towards the kitchen before returning to assess me.

Everyone was _always_ assessing me. Him, especially. Granted, I wasn't a hundred percent. Maybe more like...sixty. Or...fifty-five.

Ish.

 _Still_.

I was _okay_ , given the circumstances, and getting better every day, even though it was slow.

And uncomfortable.

And... _stuff_.

Some days, I just wasn't sure where I was. Other days, I was fine. _Every_ night, though, I was plagued with nightmares and memories that fucked with my head. I guessed that the Trials had me so messed up, that dwelling on Hell or Lucifer or the other jumps or even _dying_ got overshadowed by exhaustion and pain. Which meant I had catching up to do.

 _Hooray…_

Cue worried, freaked out, big brother, incapable of taking a Zen approach like the other worried, freaked out, big brother. Sam had me in daily therapy sessions, talking and sharing and reaffirming and whatever other crap his psych textbook suggested. And that was okay.

Mostly.

I just had trouble keeping _this_ Dean straight from my _other_ Dean.

Sometimes.

 _Hooray…_

Dean reached out and poked my nose. "You okay in there?" Concern-filled eyes bored into me, and once again, I felt immense guilt for worrying him.

I flashed a smile, fake as tits on a Hollywood actress. "Absolutely. Let's go hear about this awesome trip."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Pretty sure it was awesome," he muttered, "but I'm supposed to get some work done on the Impala. I'll catch up with him later."

One last worried look, then Dean headed outside.

 **xxxxx**

Late that night, I sat in my room trying not to think about Hell, while feeling _stupid_ because it wasn't like my stint in Hell was as bad as my other brothers' time there. Still, I told myself defensively, I tangled with a pissed off Lucifer and Michael, while trying to rescue a batshit insane little brother. It wasn't like their experience, but it was still an experience in _Hell_ , right?

Didn't that warrant at least a _little_ unease?

Jesus, could I give myself a break, ever?

Adding to the plate, I'd been thinking about Adam all night, ever since his return. Something about him seemed...off. He wouldn't make eye contact, he seemed a little on edge, and just... _off_.

There was a knock at my door, jolting me from the ridiculous conversation I was having with myself. "Yeah?" I called.

"It's me." Speak of the devil.

"Come on in."

The door opened a crack, and Adam peered at me. "Hey...gotta minute?"

I smirked. "For you? Of course. What's up?"

He pushed his way inside, gently closing the door behind him. "I, uh...just wanted to see how you were doing." His eyes were trained on the floor, his foot shuffling a little. Yeah, definitely off.

"I'm good. Really." I can sell that lie in...three words. "What about you? Everything alright?"

Adam froze, like he'd been caught doing something naughty. "Uh...yeah." He coughed into his shoulder.

Ohhhh…

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Then he sneezed.

"You dufus."

He glanced at me, shrugging. "I'm okay. Probably just picked up something. Mike was kinda sick, weather was wet and cold, so…" He shrugged again, a sheepish grin on his face.

"C'mere. Does your head hurt?" At least I could still mother.

Nice to know.

Well. It _is_ Adam. The scar on my arm caught my eye as I reached out to feel his forehead. I definitely had a soft spot for him.

 **xxxxx**

The next morning, there was a breakfast gathering, if you will. The conversation was all about the research taking place over Mary's family background. Intel on her (surprise!) hunting history was trickling in, making Dad one grumpy son of a bitch. I would've suggested he go shack up with Jody for a couple days, but the notion sounded so bitchy in my head (part of the new me, I supposed) that if I actually said it out loud, I was fairly confident it would sound even worse.

So, I kept my mouth shut, letting them ponder and mull. I didn't have a whole lot of information for them - just the notion that she hunted - so they kinda left me out of it.

That must be how I missed the segway into prophets.

"It'd be helpful to know what was coming - what Azazel is planning." Bobby - always practical. I continued hunting in the fridge for some creamer. I knew we had some left.

"I just wanna know how to kill the asshole." Dad - always with his eye on the prize. Maybe we ran out of creamer. _Fuck_ \- I could _not_ drink my coffee black.

"Well, Kevin Tran was the last prophet Kate knew about. Maybe Castiel can tell us if there are others here, since Kevin doesn't exist? There has to be another smart Chinese prophet running around, right?" Adam - always... _hold the fuck on._

I never told him Kevin's last name, let alone that he was Chinese.

I slowly straightened, forgetting about the creamer. I glanced at the microwave, where Bobby and Dad's reflections were clear as day. Adam stepped into the picture, his head turning slightly, and that's when I saw it.

A flash of white - the retinal flare, Bobby called it - just for a brief second.

I...snapped.

Seriously. I fucking _snapped_.

Whipping around, I grabbed "Adam" by the collar, and slammed him into the wall, whooshing the air out of his lungs.

"Kate! _What the hell!_ " Dad yelled.

My focus lasered onto the shifter pretending to be my brother. My brother, who I spent three days forcefully reminding myself wasn't dead, wasn't in trouble, wasn't needing a rescue.

My brother, who obviously, _did_.

I pulled "Adam" off the wall, only to slam him back again. "Where is he?" I growled.

Knowing his ruse was up, "Adam" chuckled. _That's_ when the room fell silent.

That laugh...that _flippant laugh_...earned him another slam into the wall, only this time, I made sure his head made contact. " _Answer me!"_

"Or _what?_ Come on. I was a decent Winchester, right? What gave it away?"

"I never told you anything about Kevin."

He sighed, letting his head loll against his chest. "Well, shit. That blows." He raised his head, eyes full of mischief. "But up 'til then...I had you, right?" He let out this pathetic fake cough, followed by a mocking sad face.

I pressed him harder against the wall, one hand wrapped around his throat. "You were in my bed last night, you _fucking asshole_. Tell me where Adam is, or I'll - "

All pretense gone, the shifter narrowed its eyes at me. "Or you'll what? You kill me, and you'll never know where your precious brother is."

"Kate…" Bobby used that warning tone, like he knew something was gonna happen. I caught movement to my right, as Dad stepped closer, weapon drawn.

I blatantly ignored them, pulling the angel blade from my waistband and holding it up to the shifter's neck. He just laughed harder, which frankly, increased my anger to new levels.

Holding up his hands in mock surrender, the shifter's lips twisted. "Ooooh, the wimpy little Winchester is gonna... _what?_ Do _nothing_ , that's what. This kid knows you. You'll listen to your daddy, do whatever you're told, and - " He interrupted himself with an anguished scream, as I drove that blade through his arm, effectively pinning him to the wall. A trickle of blood dribbled down his sleeve, imitating Adam's scar.

The nice thing about angel blades, was that they're made of some powerful shit. You didn't have to worry about carrying something in silver, iron, demonic steel, and so on. Just use an angel blade - it'll kill everything.

People were yelling, there was gasping, shock, horror, incredulity, whatever.

I shoved my face close, grinding out each word, my hand tightening around his neck. "Surprise. That _kid_ , doesn't really know me anymore. Now. Tell me what I want to know, before I shove this blade through your Goddamn fucking neck. _Where. Is. My. Brother?_ "

The back door opened behind me, and the room fell silent.

"Kate…? What...what the fuck're you doing?" Dean's voice shook a little from taking in the bloody scene before him. I mean honestly...we were just gonna eat eggs.

At the sound of his voice, the shifter flinched, eyes rolling toward Dean, only to widen in fear. "Shit... _shit!_ I didn't tell them anything! I swear! _I swear!_ "

Without warning, "Adam" shoved me, pulled a knife from his pocket ( _fuck_...missed that…), and thrust it into his chest. Dad rushed him, trying to wrench the knife from his grasp, but it was silver, so... _yeah_. He died within seconds, forcing Dad to hold up the body while Bobby freed him from the wall. Dad let the body slump to the floor, reflexively taking a step back, his breaths rapid and harsh.

There was an awkward silence, then everyone started talking at once. Dad, pointedly avoiding me, filled in the boys while Bobby took me by the elbow, gently guiding me out of the room. My eyes lingered on _notnotnot_ Adam's corpse, and I fought against a wave of nausea as the reality of the situation sunk in.

He was gone. _Again_. And _this_ time, I had _no_ idea where he was. The scar tingled, probably imagined, but it bothered me all the same.

Even though it was early, Bobby had a glass of booze in my hand immediately, and almost as immediately, it was down my throat.

"Bobby, we gotta - "

"I know. Sam's already huntin' through Adam's phone, which seems to actually _be_ his phone. GPS was on, and he's gonna track where it's been."

I nodded, eyes darting everywhere, taking in my surroundings, remembering where I was, that I wasn't going back to the Cage, that I wasn't going to Hell. We were just gonna go to the woods or something.

Right?

That had to be it. And it was a shifter. Not a deranged archangel. Adam was fine. Not broken and battered and beyond sanity.

He was _fine_.

Just had to find him.

 _Right?_


	5. Chapter 5

Although Dean closely watched Bobby lead Kate into the other room, his ears were trained on Sam's voice, talking GPS this, and tracking signal that. All he knew, was that he needed to kill something.

 _Soon_.

He was tired of shit happening right under his nose. Frustration over his lack of control coursed through him, ramping up a sense of inadequacy he thought was buried long ago. It set his _everything_ on edge.

The only redeeming part, was that John couldn't stop it either. That shouldn't have been satisfying, but it was.

 _Really_ satisfying.

Glancing up at his dad, Dean gave a nod toward Kate. _You figure out how to find Adam. I'm gonna figure out_ _ **her**_ _._

John followed his gaze, curtly nodding in agreement, before returning to Sam's technical babble. The tension was evident on his face and neck - set jaw, flat eyes, stiff posture. Oh yeah, John was _not_ happy.

Dean gently bumped elbows with Sam, effectively communicating the same message, earning brief eye contact and silent acknowledgement in return.

Since her curse ended, Sam's job was to help Kate process. He was better at that crap - talking and evaluating, sharing and evolving.

Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Dean's mission was simpler, at least to him. _Make Kate better_. "Better" included safe, secure, grounded, healthy, _stable_.

He didn't feel successful at it.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. Smoothly sidestepping the corpse, Dean found his sister and Bobby in the library, downing shots and looking two seconds away from losing it.

Bobby gave Dean a look behind her back. _Not good._

 _No shit._

"Hey…" He figured he'd start easy.

Kate was visibly trembling, but trying like hell to hide it. "Hey..." She answered, taking a deep breath, attempting to bottle up her emotions. But Dean knew better: she was rattled.

Bobby nodded at no one in particular, fiddling with his cap, glancing at the kitchen. "I'm gonna go help them. We should probably get ready to move. I'm thinking your dad will wanna get on the road as soon as possible."

Dean nodded back, knowing that really, Bobby was chomping at the bit, too, if not more. The old hunter adopted Adam, taking him in and teaching him everything he knew. Adam may have been John's by blood, but he was Bobby's by right.

After squeezing Dean's shoulder, Bobby walking past, sparing one last worried look at Kate before leaving the room.

Dean was ready to spout some shit about how they'd get Adam back, no matter what, when the others bombarded the library.

Sam waved the phone at them. "Got a lead. The last GPS ping was in, get this, _Deans_ ville Wildlife Area in Wisconsin, about an hour from Black River State Forest, which is where Adam was camping with his friends."

"Wait - Deansville? Seriously?" Dean asked, at the same time as…

"How is that possible?" Kate asked. "He _drove_ here. How come there aren't other pings along the way?"

Dean nodded at her, because, yeah, that too.

John folded his arms across his chest. "There are location pings before Deansville, a few inside that state forest, actually, but yeah, the last one's from Deansville. So, either the GPS was disabled between there and here - "

"Which it wasn't," Sam interjected.

" _Which it wasn't_ ," John repeated, emphasizing his words to show agreement with Sam's assessment, "or he magically poofed here, or - "

"Or there was some interference with the system during the drive," Bobby finished, earning an irritated glance from John at being interrupted again.

Dean snorted to himself. He thought _he_ had control issues.

" _Anyway_ ," John continued, "I want us on the road within thirty minutes to check out that park. Kate - call his friends and see what they know." He paused, his commander voice trailing off uncomfortably. "Who's gonna call Jo?"

Dean wet his lips. "Well, Bobby, you - "

"Hold on, there. Just cuz I'm seeing Ellen don't mean I wanna pass along _this_ news."

"I'll do it," Kate whispered, clearing her throat, then trying again. "I'll call, then I'll check in with Adam's friends." Her eyes swept over everyone nervously before she stepped back, and onto the porch.

Once the door clicked shut, John grabbed his hair. "Okay, _what the fuck happened in there?_ Bob?! She was...I mean, _what the fuck?_ "

"What exactly happened?" Sam asked, his forehead all crinkled up, his eyes lingering on the door.

"She fucking thumbtacked that shifter to the wall, that's what happened!" John urgent-whispered, not wanting his voice to carry, but unable to contain his emotions.

Sam's eyes widened, Dean eyed the front door.

Bobby shook his head. "This isn't good, guys. I've never seen her like that - she didn't even blink when she stabbed it. It was like she snapped or something."

Dean knew where this was going. Someone was gonna suggest she stay behind, that she was a wildcard, not well enough to hunt. He cut them all off. "I've got her. Let's just get on the road, and bring Adam home."

Sam huffed that SamHuff, the one that made Dean want to punch him. "Dean, I don't think - "

"Sammy, this isn't the time to psychoanalyze. It isn't something she'll wanna chat about over coffee, alright? Look, are _you_ gonna explain to her that she has to sit this one out? After everything she's been through for him? "

Sam's nostrils flared, but he kept his mouth shut. Out of the corner of his eye, John stood with his arms folded, evaluating every word coming out of Dean's mouth. _Whatever_. Dean pushed ahead. "Kate'll be my responsibility. I won't let her out of my sight. Just map the course so we can get our shit together and get the fuck out of here, so I can kill whatever took our kid."

The words were growled, as Dean's frustration and worry spilled out. Sam, being Sam, bit his lip, nodding slowly, accepting every word, not arguing Dean's tone. If that order came out of Dad? A fight was inevitable. From Dean? Acquiescence.

While Dean hated the tension that existed between John and Sam, he loved that in this one area, he had "one up" on his father.

Bobby mumbled something about cleaning up the body, hooking a finger at Sam for help. As soon as they left, John turned to Dean.

"You sure about bringing her?"

"Like I said, _you_ wanna tell her she can't go?"

John shook his head. "It's not about that, and you know it. You didn't see her, Dean. The shifter taunted her, tried to make her feel weak, and she...she was just…" He clenched his hands into fists, dropping them to his side as he let out a breath. " _Christ_ , Dean, she was _amazing_."

Dean raised an eyebrow.

John peeked past him to see if Sam or Bobby could hear him. They were balls deep in dragging the body out the back door, so he continued in a low voice. "Seriously - it was the most badass thing she's ever done." Dean grinned - _that's his girl._ "But at the same time... _it wasn't her_. This isn't our Kate."

Dean sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I don't know what else to do to bring her back. I'm trying everything."

John set a hand on Dean's shoulder. "I know, son. It isn't just your responsibility to do something. That's not what I'm saying." Dean snorted to himself. No one ever said it - he owned it regardless. "We may never really get her back, and I...I _know_ that. I just don't want her doing something reckless and getting herself, or one of us, killed. I'm worried."

Dean's head bobbed up and down, hearing the message loud and clear. _If she loses her shit, bench her. Immediately._ "Got it."

John's eyes searched his son's face a moment, before nodding in return. "Okay. I'm gonna go help with that body then get ready to leave. Thirty minutes." He squeezed Dean's shoulder, before leaving Dean alone, running through options of what to do next.

What he wanted to do and what he needed to do were two different things.

The front door opened, and in walked Kate, phone still pressed to her ear. "I _know_ , Jo, but there's nothing you can do right now. We're leaving in five minutes. If your mom wants to meet us there, that's fine, but we can't wait." She rolled her eyes at Dean, who smirked back. "Yeah...I'll send you the exact coordinates when I get them. … I will. … I know you do. … Yeah, I'll tell Bobby to call her. … Okay...I gotta go. Yeah. See you soon."

She hung up, shooting a withering look at her brother. "Girls…" she muttered, making him laugh despite himself. She never thought of herself as one, and maybe, Dean supposed, they didn't either.

He raised his chin at her. "How're you doing?"

She thought for a moment, tapping the phone against her thigh, avoiding his gaze. "I'll be better when we get him back."

True that.

He wanted a minute, just _one fucking minute_ , to figure out what was going on in her head, but she flashed him a quick smile, turning towards the stairs. "I'm gonna pack while I call his friend, Mike."

 _Fuck_. How was he gonna get her alone for a bit?

Her foot hit the bottom step, when she asked over her shoulder, "Listen...you, uh, think that maybe you can get Sam to ride with Dad?"

Dean blinked. _Oh_. Well, then. "Um...yeah, yeah, sure. No problem."

Another small smile. "Thanks." She went upstairs, scrolling through her contacts, her phone beeping softly as she pressed the buttons.

 _That_ worked out.

Sam walked in, a grimace on his face. "I need a shower. That body turned to mush when we tossed it on the wood pile."

Dean's face wrinkled in disgust. "Fucking shifters."

Sam's eyebrows shrugged in agreement. His head tilted as he peeked upstairs. "How is she?"

Dean sighed, massaging his forehead, trying to figure out how to get Sam in Dad's truck without an argument. "She's okay…um, look..."

Sam sighed. "Hey...I was thinking." _Shit_. "I mean...you haven't really talked to her since her whole thing, right?"

 _Thanks for bringing that up, Sammy_. Dean shrugged. "She's talking to you, Sam, which is better than not talking at all." He was pretty sure that didn't sound bitter.

Sam gave him a soulful look, the kind that made Dean instantly uncomfortable, because something deep and meaningful was about to come out of his mouth. "I know, but I think, maybe, she just kinda...needs _you_ right now."

 _Wait_. Was this really be going his way, again?

Holding his breath, not wanting to ruin it, he let Sam continue. "I was thinking that I should ride with Dad and Bobby...let her be alone with you for the ride. Is that okay? I mean, it's not that I don't wanna be with her, because shit, I do, but...I remember after Jess died," he cleared his throat uncomfortably, "I just, um, needed you there, so, maybe right now…"

Sam's voice cracked a little, and thankfully, he stopped talking, avoiding an even more emotional moment than Dean felt was necessary.

Dean tried to look like he was considering Sam's offer. "Yeah, maybe. Okay, ride with Dad, and I'll take Kate."

Sam blew out a breath. "Great, thanks. Okay. Let's pack. Dad's out there chomping at the bit."

 **xxxxx**

They pulled out of their yard in a cloud of dust, heading toward the highway, anxious and angry and worried and itching to _do_ something. _This_ was the adrenaline rush Dean loved about hunting - knowing you were about to make a difference, vanquish something evil, save lives - there was nothing like it. Sure, law enforcement held similar opportunities, but they had restrictions.

Hunting?

No restrictions whatsoever. You take out the monster, however you can. As an added bonus, all the monsters were bad. Simple and straightforward. He couldn't imagine a situation where the monster warranted consideration for extenuating circumstances. That shit just didn't happen.

Kate spoke to the four friends who were supposed to be camping with Adam. They all had the same story - had a great time in Black River State Park, then went their separate ways when they were done. Nothing unusual or suspicious to report.

 _Awesome._

Dean drove in silence. It didn't feel right, jamming to Sabbath when Adam's life was on the line, even though music calmed his anxiety and fueled his motivation. Kate sat still, staring out the window, feet tucked under her, looking small and vulnerable.

He let her be for a while, respecting her need to be lost in her own thoughts. After almost an hour, though, he began running through options of how to approach her. Which, if Dean was honest, pissed him off, because he never had that problem before. It was easy to connect with Old Kate. New Kate always seemed a smidge out of reach.

Without warning, she slid across the seat, tucked in close, and sighed.

 _There's_ his girl.

Dean wrapped an arm around her still too-thin body, steering confidently with his left hand, caressing her with his cheek.

"We're just going to a park, right?" She asked in a soft, trembling voice, one hand covering her cheek and those scars.

Puzzle pieces clicked into place, kicking Dean's brother instincts into gear. Pulling her close, he assured her, "Just going to a park with a stupid name." She nodded, ignoring his joke, and Dean thought, what the hell…"You sure you wanna go?"

She snorted. "They all want me to sit this out, don't they?"

"What do _you_ wanna do?" He rubbed his thumb along her arm.

"I faced Lucifer for him, Dean. I'm not gonna lose him now to some fucking shifter."

Dean squeezed her, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Then let's get him back."

She nodded against his shoulder, staying close the rest of the ride.

 **xxxxx**

They parked near the main office, anxiously waiting as Bobby and John spoke with the rangers. Finally, they emerged, looking more pissed off than when they arrived.

"No one remembered Adam or recognized his picture," John groused. "The place isn't that big, maybe two thousand acres, most of it marsh or grassland. Only ninety of those acres are wooded, so we can at least cover that ground easily."

Dean snorted to himself. He was pretty sure two thousand acres was still big.

"That's only about three square miles," Sam supplied, because, of course he knew.

"No camping allowed here, either," Bobby continued, yanking off his cap and looking around the parking lot. "So if he really _was_ here, he wasn't supposed to stay overnight."

Sam made his thinking face. "That means there aren't any campgrounds to start at."

 _Fantastic_.

"So, now what?" Kate asked, an edge to her voice.

John waved a handful of brochures at them. "Entire park's mapped in here. There's a parking lot closer to the middle where the woods are. Figure we can start there."

Dean glanced at Sam to get his take on the plan. When Sam met his gaze, Dean nodded. "Okay. Let's go."

They parked a second time, and by then, everyone was completely on edge. No leads, except a potentially incorrect GPS ping. Not the best start to a rescue mission.

The lot was deserted, so pulling out weapons and supplies was easier than usual. Dean noticed the glint of silver in Kate's waistband. She had that angel blade on her.

Probably not a bad thing.

Once everyone was loaded and ready to go, John hefted a bag onto his shoulder. "There's only one trail from this lot into the woods, and it branches a little ways in. As much as I hate the idea, we're gonna split up once inside so we can cover more ground." He inhaled deeply through his nose, giving everyone a hard look. "Let's find him."

The sky was an ugly mass of swirling gray. Thick clouds promising rain blocked the sun, mocking them as they started onto the trail. Dean's eyes swept the trees as a cold breeze bent the tops. He swore they were being watched. Every rustle and drifting leaf startled him, ramping up his adrenaline. He shivered, drawing his jacket close.

To make it worse, something weird _was_ going on with Kate. The second they entered the park, her mood shifted. Forehead furrowed, eyes squinting, limbs fidgety. There was no time to figure it out, so Dean knew he had to keep an extra eye on her.

There were too many things to watch.

The trail branched, as John said, at the beginning of a small clearing.

"Too many footprints from hikers," Sam sighed irritably, his eyes trained on the ground.

"I don't like this," Bobby murmured, shifting his hold on a rifle. "I swear we're being watched, but the wind's picking up, and I keep thinkin' leaves and branches are monsters waiting in the shadows. Fuckin' annoying."

Dean sighed inwardly with relief. Wasn't just him.

John answered, "I know." His eyes darted to Kate. "You okay?"

She shot him a look. "I'm fine," she said, her tone clipped. "Let's just keep moving."

John shot _Dean_ a look. "Dean - you and Kate are on the south trail. Bobby, Sam, and I will head north."

Neither Sam nor Bobby commented, which rankled Dean. They obviously discussed this on the way over, not feeling a need to include him. Sam nodded, pointedly fixated on the ground. _Thanks for the heads up, Sammy._

Kate didn't seem to care. She rolled her eyes, turned, and started down the path.

Bobby nodded at her retreating back, asking, "How is she?"

Dean wiped a hand down his face, eyes flickering to Kate before answering. "She's good."

Bobby's eyes lingered before sliding back to Dean. "Yeah?" He didn't sound convinced.

Dean sighed, already irritated at having to constantly defend her. A quick glance at John told him he was listening closely to the conversation. "Yeah. We shared over lattes on the ride here. What do you think? She got some sleep, and now she's ready to get Adam and go home, just like me. So let's stop analyzing _her_ and focus on Adam. Then I'll deal with her, okay?"

Bobby's eyes narrowed at his tone and accusation. "I can worry about both at the same time, especially if one could impact the other."

 _Goddammit_.

Thankfully, Sam stepped in. "We're all worried, but you're right. Let's find Adam." He shot Bobby a look, begging him to let it go.

Bobby snorted, turning away. Dean knew he was being a little unfair. Bobby thought of Kate and Adam the way John felt about Sam and Dean. He regretted snapping, but he was also beyond his worry limit, so controlling his temper wasn't on the top of his priority list.

Knowing there wasn't anything to be done right then and there, Dean moved to follow Kate. John grabbed his arm. "Keep your eye on her. Something's not right, here."

Dean nodded. _No shit._

By the time John released him, Kate was out of sight. Shaking his head, Dean jogged to catch up, trying to ignore the worried whispering behind him.

When he reached the outer edge of the clearing, he found Kate on the ground, her back against a tree, tears on her cheeks. What the…

She was staring at...Dean looked around. Uh... _nothing_. There was nothing there.

But she saw _some_ thing.

Dean took a cautious step, not sure what he was walking into, but needing to get to his sister's side. He only managed the one step, however, before he froze in place, completely unable to move, despite how hard he tried.

" _Don't move._ " Castiel's voice sounded in his head.

Don't move? _Really?_ He _can't_ move.

Kate choked out a sob, her whole body trembling, eyes locked on whatever was in front of her. What the fuck was she looking at?

" _See what she sees."_

Something gently pressed against his temple, and instantly, everything around him blurred. Dean blinked a few times as the wooded park was replaced by a barren landscape, bleak and desolate.

When he refocused on his sister, he gasped.

Sam, an _older_ Sam, stood in front of Kate, a mocking smile on his lips. Her face bled from fresh gashes on her cheek, soaking into her shirt. Dean struggled to reach her side.

" _Not yet."_

 _Fuck you, not yet_ , he snapped at Cas.

"Sam" squatted in front of Kate, brushing some hair off her face. "Show them your story, Kate, and you'll find your brother."

Without sparing a glance at Dean, he disappeared, and Dean was released.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Kate…**_

I had no idea how Dean managed to get Sam riding with Dad, but he did, and that was all that mattered. It wasn't that I didn't want to be with Sam, it's just that I didn't want to be grilled or analyzed or looked at with his soul searching eyes.

I was afraid I'd punch him.

The focus shouldn't have been on me - it was about Adam. Adam, who was fucking gone again, taken from right fucking under my nose. I should _never_ have let him out of my sight.

...Hey, Kate? Thanks for visiting Dean Winchester's sense of over-inflated sibling responsibility.

 _Sigh_.

Staring out the window, I watched the boring scenery blur past, acutely aware of my older brother's anxiety over my silence and distance. Sometimes, it was so hard to remember that Dean was Dean, no matter what or when or where.

I snuck a peek at him, taking in the stubble, the jawline. The way his nose wrinkled when it itched, the way he pulled on his lower lip when troubled. The way his eyes…

 _His eyes._

His eyes, that didn't reflect a massive load of self-loathing, the way _his_ eyes did.

I never wanted to see that depth of pain on _this_ face.

I slid across the seat, burrowing under Dean's jacket. When his arm wrapped around me, my mind cleared, and I actually slept, for the first time in days.

 **xxxxx**

On the bright side? I had a great nap.

On the downside? A headache sprouted behind my eyes, and got steadily worse the closer we got. The stress was apparently taking its toll.

We _finally_ parked and got out the weapons. I could tell Dad was two seconds away from benching me by the way he asked how I was doing. _Jesus_ , how did he _think_ I was doing? And when were they gonna stop asking me that?

Stabbing that shifter before breakfast probably didn't help my case.

I rolled my eyes, unfairly leaving Dean to deal with his overbearing ass. My head hurt, I was crazy worried, and the last thing I needed was Dad hovering, waiting for me to snap.

 _Again_.

The angel blade pressed against my back, offering more reassurance than anything, as I stomped (yes, I actually stomped) away from Dad, away from Bobby, away from _Sam_.

Feeling liberated (even though they were, what, thirty feet away?), I realized I hadn't really been off our property since my return. Couldn't hide forever.

"Well, hello, Kate. It's been...a while."

...Or maybe I could.

Slowly, I turned around, sucking in a breath as an older version of Sam casually approached. His hands were in the pockets of a blazer, and he shuffled his feet in the...sand? My eyes darted left and right, and I almost pissed my pants.

I wasn't in the park anymore. Barren wasteland, skeletons littered here and there, black and gray swirling clouds in the sky, creepy corpse-like bodies groaning and crawling aimlessly.

 _Fuck…Fuckfuckfuck!_

"Sam" stepped closer. "Can you place me, yet?"

I stepped backwards, fear and panic setting in. Of course, I placed him. You don't forget Lucifer.

 _Ever_.

But I did, apparently, forget how to talk. He misunderstood my silence for amnesia.

"Hm. Let's see if this helps."

Sharp, piercing pain exploded across my cheek, whipping me around until I stumbled against a tree, gasping. _Holy mother of God,_ that fucking hurt.

This was _not_ happening. It could _not_ be happening.

The sound of blades whistling through the air hit my ears barely a second before my shoulder split open.

 _Again_.

 _Fuck!_ Seriously - _FUCK!_ We were just supposed to go to a park, _Goddammit!_

It didn't hurt this much the first time around, probably because the injury induced pain competed with the Trials' pain, dulling the impact. I _definitely_ preferred the dulled version, which, while still incredibly painful, sure as fuck wasn't _this_ bad.

Trembling, I spun around to face him, leaning against the tree for support, trying to catch my breath and prevent any whimpering whatsoever. Without that tree, I would've fallen to the ground. Although, honestly, I was slowly sliding down the trunk, my legs suddenly unable to support my weight. I did my best to keep my sliced shoulder off the bark as I moved.

Sitting was fine. Right? Sure. It was _fiiiine_.

When my ass hit the ground, A few tears trickled down my face, mingling with the blood. He stood in front of me, making my insides curdle. I screamed for Cas at the top of my mental lungs. He would've told me if the Cage was opened, right? I mean, we tried, and it didn't work, so...what the fuck was going on?

"I think you remember now."

No shit. "How…?" _There's_ my voice.

Lucifer smiled, looking around, shrugging apologetically. "Well, I'm not really here. I mean, it's not really me. So if your next question is whether this is all in your mind, the answer is...sort of."

That cleared up nothing.

He chuckled. "I know - that didn't clear up anything. Let's just say that this whole adventure of yours is a great story, one that I don't think your family truly appreciates. You _voluntarily_ went to _Hell_. You stole something from _Lucifer_. That deserves some recognition, don't you think? And I'm pretty sure you aren't getting it."

 _What the…_

"Kate. I'm here to symbolize your experiences. I'm here to _help_ you." He smiled this condescending smile that was almost a smirk, then he crouched in front of me, prompting an involuntary scoot backward, which was silly because I had nowhere to go.

"I'm giving you an opportunity. Show them your story, Kate, and you'll find your brother."

Next thing I knew, Lucifer was gone, Dean slid to my side in the sand, calling my name, cradling my torn cheek, and I felt before I saw the angel standing off to the side.

I pushed Dean off and scrambled to my feet, hissing as the shoulder wound pulled, a fresh spurt of blood running down my back. "What the fuck _was_ that, Cas? You said...I thought...it wasn't him, was it? He said it was all in my mind, so what does that mean?" Cas just stood there, head tilted as if listening to something only he could hear.

I hated that look. It meant I wasn't going to get a straight answer.

" _Cas!_ _Tell me it wasn't really him!_ " Desperation clutched my heart, and I just needed a confirmation.

"Who? Who wasn't really who?" Dean asked, slapping my hand as I slapped _his_ hand. "Knock it off! What the fuck happened? _Jesus_ , your face...your shoulder... _Goddammit_ , I need the med kit."

I caught both of Dean's hands in mine, forcing him to look at me. "Fuck the med kit, Dean. Stop fussing and just give me a fucking minute. _Please!_ " His eyebrows shot up, but he stopped at my tone, nodding curtly, clearly unhappy.

I turned back to Cas, who stepped closer, eyes darting everywhere. "Well?" I demanded. Something soft wrapped around my shoulder, almost like a fuzzy blanket. Immediately, I felt calmer, as the angel's presence enveloped me.

"We're not in Hell."

" _Hell?!_ " Dean blurted.

"It sure as fuck looks like it," I snapped, taking a couple steps away from his wing, twirling around. "The only other stop I made here was before you tried to rescue me. It looked _exactly_ like this."

Blue eyes bored into mine. "It _looks_ like a version of some of Hell, yes. But _feel_ it. It's not real."

Chest heaving, I clenched my fists. " _Feel around you, Kate."_

How the fuck do you do that - _Ohhhhhh_...

I twirled around. He was right. It just felt... _off_ , not like the other times. It looked right, so maybe...maybe that's why I reacted with fear.

Blood dripped off my cheek, onto my shirt, the sting from the wound sharp and throbbing.

Okay...or that's why I reacted with fear. _Shit_.

Dean stepped between us. "Okay. I'm done being the bystander in this conversation. Someone start talking, _to me_ , and explain what the fuck is going on! Where are we, what was Sam doing, and how are you sliced up when you were out of my sight for a whole two minutes?"

Jesus, he looked about to explode.

Swallowing, I pulled at my chin, wincing when my fingers slid on the blood, brushing the gashes. "I was walking, the landscape changed out of nowhere, and...it does _look_ like that one Hell. And that Sam...that was...um…" Dean's eyebrows rose expectantly.

"The image we just witnessed was supposed to be Lucifer, with Sam as his vessel." Cas reached out, gingerly touching my cheek. "I am unclear how an image could do actual physical damage, although I suspect the damage may not be real, either." The fact that Cas used his Encyclopedia Britannica voice made that whole line sound so much worse.

Dean was speechless. He stared at Cas. Then at me. Then back at Cas. Finally, he asked, "You're telling me we're in a pretend Hell...and that was a pretend Lucifer pretending to wear my brother?"

Frowning, Cas and I exchanged a look. It sounded a lot more fucked up the way Dean said it. Even though it was...already really fucked up. Dean continued. "And...he pretend resliced open your face and shoulder?"

Again, more fucked up when he said it.

Cas pinched his lips together, facing me. His fingertips ghosted my temple, his eyes narrowing slightly. I felt nothing.

 _Crap_.

"What _is_ this, Cas? I never told anyone about this jump. Not even you."

Castiel's eyes met mine. "Perhaps someone or somet _hing_ has access to your memories, and used that knowledge to stage this environment."

Oh, _Christ_.

"I'm sorry - Lucifer, Hell, and now mindreaders? Call the others. We need to find Adam, then get the fuck out of here. _Now_." Dean's eyes glinted in the dim light. He pointed a finger at me. "And fake ripped flesh or not, you're bleeding like crazy, and it's hurting. We need that med kit, unless Cas can...you know..." He wiggled his fingers in the air, signalling the angel's magic ability, like this was a trick appearing after some broad got sawed in half.

Cas searched my face a moment, before sighing. "It appears there is something blocking my powers. _However, the grace inside you is keeping the wound from getting worse_." That last part was sent to me privately.

"Fantastic," I grumbled, resisting the urge to touch my cheek, wipe the blood, _some_ thing.

"What's fantastic?" Dean asked, eyes narrowed.

"Nothing. We need to - "

"You need to explain why the hell you two are standing there yelling at each other when we're supposed to be looking for Adam!"

This just kept getting better and better. Slowly, we turned to find Dad, looking like he caught us setting a vampire free. His arms were folded across his chest, shotgun slung over his shoulder, looking exactly like the hunter monsters trembled over.

My little girl side screamed to run into his arms. My grown-up side pulled up her big girl pants, wanting to protect them.

" _Why don't you want their help?_ " Cas asked.

" _I don't want them seeing any of this, Cas. They don't deserve to see it._ "

" _And you don't deserve their support? Adam doesn't?_ "

Low blow, asshole. " _That's not the point._ "

"Hey! Quit talking to each other like I'm not even here!" Dean snapped.

"Who's she talkin' to?" Bobby asked, casually shifting his grip on a rifle.

"It's Cas! Can't you - " Dean stopped when it became clear they couldn't see him. Eyes heavenward, Dean sighed. "Cas…?"

Cas took a step away from me (smart move), and even though they were warned that Cas was _right there,_ they still jumped when he came into view.

Dad swallowed, taking a slow, measured breath. Dean and I winced - we knew that look. Sensing an eruption, Sam shouldered past him, holding, _holy shit!_ the backpack I used when I rescued Adam the first time.

"Kate?" Sam asked tentatively, shooting Dad a _Let Me Handle This_ look, earning an eyeroll and a flourishy hand gesture in return. "We, uh, found this backpack. We thought maybe it belonged to one of Adam's friends, but when we looked inside…"

I swallowed, briefly closing my eyes before smiling ruefully at Sam. "Herbs, ancient coins, a couple bandanas, a knife just like the one we found in Adam's mom's house..."

Sam frowned just for a second. "And a cell phone...with mine and Dean's names in it, but…"

"Not your numbers." I whispered. Clearing my throat, I held out my hand for the bag. "This is the bag I took to the Cage." I peeked inside. Everything was there, just as I remembered. Tears prickled my eyes, as the memories flooded my mind, and not just of the Trial.

" _You will need their help. If nothing else, they will ground you._ "

I drew a shuddering breath, drinking in one last sight of Dean's face. Not innocent, but _more_ innocent. Nodding, I wiped a shaking hand over my mouth. "Go ahead."

"Go ahead, what?" Dad demanded.

Dean softly filled them in, while I stared at the contents of the backpack. Turning it over, I noticed something interesting. "Cas - with all this attention to detail, the banishing sigil is missing."

Cas frowned even more (I didn't see how that was possible). "Interesting," was all he said, although I sensed a touch of relief.

"Okay, Cas. Um...do your...magic thing…" Dean waved his hands around, "and make them see where we are."

Cas blinked, Bobby yelped, Sam flinched, and Dad...Dad squinted, turning slow circles, taking it all in.

"So...where is _Jesus_ , Kate!" Oh yes, with the sight came the blood.

The pain retreated into a dull throb, tingling when cool air touched the gashes as I moved. "It's fine," I insisted, pushing away probing hands, more focused on the artifacts from my other home. I ran my thumb along the cell phone, reciting their phone numbers in my head for the first time in weeks.

Dad shrugged out of _his_ backpack, pulling out the travel med kit. He nodded at Bobby, who set down his weapon and began cleaning my face, pointedly ignoring my feeble attempts to be left alone.

Because that was _never_ an option in this family.

"What exactly did this hallucination say to you, Kate?" Dad asked.

Dean came to my defense immediately. "It wasn't a hallucination, Dad. Cas and I saw him, too."

I flashed a grateful smile at my brother before answering. "He said this was a great story to tell, and that...that you guys don't appreciate it." Dad grunted. "So I'm guessing that whoever is behind this, wants me to relive the Trial, with you all as an audience."

Carefully reaching up, I felt the butterfly bandages Bobby slapped on to hold my face together. "Thanks, Bobby," I murmured, as he started working on my shoulder.

Bobby waved a hand at me. "No thanks, Missy. Let's just find our boy."

Sam crouched next to me. "What are all these things for?" he asked, gesturing at the bag.

I glanced up at Cas before answering. "Well. The coins were for the ride back down the River Styx. I got caught smuggling Adam's soul on the boat, so I needed money to pay Charon for his fare. The herbs are for Adam's location spell, and the knife...the knife kills demons, right? So...that's a no brainer."

Bobby finished, pressing a kiss to my forehead, before creaking to his feet.

Dad scrubbed a hand down his face. "Alright. So this fucker wants you to relive the worst nightmare of your life because he thinks we need to be more impressed." Helloooo, SarcasticJohn! "If that's the case, then you probably need to redo everything, fake or not."

 _Fuck_.

Cas placed a hand on my shoulder. "You will have to go through the motions of getting into the Cage first," he murmured, knowing very well how I felt about casting that fucking spell.

I handed Dean the backpack, because there was no way I could put it on my shoulder. "Well, no rings means no Cage, right? Just fake Cage?"

Cas blinked. "Yes." To me, he added, " _I'll be right here, at your side._ " He drew his blade, patiently waiting.

I glanced at my family, my family that I vowed would _never_ set foot in Hell, real or otherwise, and here I was, driving the fucking tour bus.

Sighing sourly, I thrust my hands in my hair. "Fine. This...this isn't the Hell from the Trials. In fact, I docked at an Underworld hub, had to get into Hell, and then the Cage." I glanced at Cas. "Think I need to be in the right Hell first, or…?"

Everyone was following my logic, nodding along. Cas just raised an eyebrow. " _You're stalling._ "

Rolling my eyes, I threw my hands in the air. "Fine!" Ignoring the puzzled looks, I took a couple steps, pulled my angel blade (Dad had the demon knife), and made sure Cas was next to me. Three deep breaths later, I spoke the spell. " _Bvtmon Tabges Babalon"._

Dad stepped up, eyes darting everywhere. It took a couple seconds, but the air finally did that shimmery dance I remembered too well. Glancing over my shoulder, I took a deep breath, then stepped through.

 **xxxxx**

Once everyone was in, I spoke the counter spell and closed the portal.

It was the same cold, creepy mansion, but at the same time, it wasn't. Generally speaking, it looked identical, but some of the details were fuzzy in my memory, and those details were lacking here, too.

 _See?_ I told myself. More proof that this was a fake Cage.

It would've helped if it had different wallpaper, though.

The guys were uncharacteristically quiet, drinking it all in. Dean finally broke the silence. "A house? Lucifer's prison is a house?"

Cas answered for me. "The Cage is just a space. For Kate's visit, this is how it manifested itself."

"So, what, she had a customized tour?" Sam asked, his voice squeaking a little at the end.

"In a manner of speaking."

"If we're in Hell, why the fuck is it so cold?" Dean grumbled, rubbing his arms.

Bobby took this one. "Hell being all fire and brimstone is part of the mythos, Dean. The cold actually suits this place more, I think." His breath puffed in front of his face as he spoke. "Was it this cold when you were here?" he asked softly.

"Colder," I whispered, shivering from more than the cold. I didn't like this one bit.

"Now what, Kate?" Dad asked. He was all business now, pushing aside his Dad-hat in favor of his hunter-hat, but I could see how upset he was. I had a feeling there'd be a debriefing later.

"Location spell. I, uh, need to cast one that'll lock onto Adam and bring me to him."

Nodding at the backpack in Dean's hands, Dad said, "Everything you need in there?"

I nodded back, wiping my hands on my jeans and reaching for the bag. Dean handed it over just as something occurred to me. "Cas? The spell is to find my brother. But I have two of them right here. Won't it - "

"It's not real, Kate. Remember that. You're just going through the motions."

I blinked, feeling everyone's eyes on me as my cheeks grew uncomfortably warm, and not from leaking blood. "Right. It's fake. Got it. _Sorry_."

Kneeling down, I took out the myrrh and holy water, my hands shaking as much as they did the first time. I wasn't really in Hell, but that boon was balanced by being the object of intense scrutiny that vacillated between concern, sympathy, wonder, and anger.

 _Hooray..._

I motioned at Dad for the demon knife. Curious and skeptical, Dad handed it over, and I heard a collective hiss when I sliced open my arm, right over the original scar. "Need the blood," was all I said, shrugging at everyone's shocked expressions, and proceeding to dab at it with Dean's old bandana. I almost paused to smell it, just to see if it smelled like him, but I was sure the crazy looks would be off the charts if I did.

" _Dorepaha_ _Dluga Siasch_ ", I muttered, and yes, the familiar tugging on my chest began.

Castiel tilted his head, murmuring, "Huh…"

I smiled apologetically. "My Enochian isn't that good."

" _I can teach you._ "

And cue more blushing.

After wiping the knife on my pants, I handed it back to Dad, pointing at the steps. "Gotta go down."

I caught Dean's snicker at the innuendo, followed immediately by the subsequent smack from Sam. The familiarity helped settle the butterflies. I could do this. I got him once, I would get him again, especially since _this wasn't real._

I projected to Cas, " _No I told you so speeches._ "

Cas merely shrugged, gesturing for me to lead the way.


	7. Chapter 7

Let's play compare and contrast: How were Actual Hell and Fake Hell different?

Well, for starters, Hell time was the same as real time in Fake Hell. When it felt like a few minutes, a few minutes had actually passed. At least that's what our watches told us. I was sticking to that, because the very thought of the time difference made my blood pressure rise.

Secondly, the cold, while _cold_ , was more of a damp chill, rather than the bone-seeping, soul-invading cold from Actual Hell. You were pretty sure that once you changed into comfy pants and fluffy socks, you'd be good to go.

And finally, Actual Hell scared the absolute, complete fuck out of you. Fake Hell had all the same images, but lacked a lot of the punch. Maybe because in the back of your mind, you knew it was fake. You knew you'd get out. Fake Lucifer _told_ you he was a Fake Lucifer.

Fortunately, I saw the differences. I was still freaked out, but that was more from not understanding what was really going on, rather than the Hell Experience.

Unfortunately, my family had no such benchmark comparisons, so they were properly disturbed.

In the back of my mind, though, I was actually a little satisfied. That Samifer ( _fuckin' fanfic…_ ) was right - they really didn't appreciate or understand this Trial at all.

Or any of the Trials.

Or the whole damn curse, come to think about it.

 _Anyway_.

I was pretty sure Dad and Bobby thought I'd been hit on the head to think I was in Hell, let alone dealing with Lucifer, so seeing them flinch was definitely awesome.

Hopefully, that didn't make me sound like _too_ much of an asshole.

(Although honestly, I was okay if it did.)

We went downstairs, making our way through the claw-marked corridor. We moved fairly quickly, partly so I didn't refresh every detail of this place in my mind, and partly so my family didn't acquire them. We reached the doorway that started off the sequence of fucked up corpse-filled rooms, and I paused, hand on the doorknob, dreading what lie ahead.

"What is it?" Dad asked softly, the eeriness of this place subduing even him.

Pulling at my upper lip, I debated how to explain what lie ahead.

" _Just tell them."_

I blew out a breath. _Fine_. "We need to go through a series of really disturbing rooms," I started.

Dean and Sam nodded, wearing an expression that seemed to say, "We know this was disturbing for you. But _we're_ here now." Glancing at Bobby and Dad, they wore it, too.

Irritation commandeered my senses, cutting off the rest of my speech. Turning away, I shoved my empty hand into a pocket, trying to hide the uncontrollable shaking. I wanted to scream that they were getting the _dumbed down_ version of Hell, that _my_ Sam and Dean spent _decades_ being tortured here, that Adam was _trapped_ here as a punching bag, that if Cas hadn't found me, _I'd still be here._

More importantly, _this_ Adam was here _now_. Real or Fake aside, _he was here_ , and in trouble. I had _no_ desire to waste time giving the fifty cent tour through The Cage while my brother was missing.

 _Again_.

"What's wrong?" Dad asked again, a little more insistently. He took a step closer, prompting me to move even further away.

"Kate." _Castiel_.

Okay, _him_ I faced, cramming all my thoughts and emotions between his eyes until he flinched, understanding. He used a mental tone that aimed for reason and logic. " _You know their comprehension is impossible. Do not let that image of Lucifer alter your course of action."_

I glimpsed the guys playing eyeball ping pong between Cas and me, trying to figure out the delay.

"You know what?" I ranted, gesturing at them. "I _know_ it isn't about their understanding. They don't fucking get it, Cas. They'll _never_ get it. I _know_ that. The patronizing little looks and noises make want to shove my Goddamn fist through a face, but that's not the point. The _point_ is that _this_ is a waste of time. I want my brother back, _alive_ , not a broken, scarred, punching bag for a couple of douchebag archangels!"

At this point, I realized, _oh shit_ , I spoke that whole thing out loud. My voice caught in my throat, and a few tears escaped down my cheek, stinging as they hit the gashes.

If it was quiet before, it was _really_ quiet now.

 _Sigh._

Spinning in a slow circle, I spoke louder, to whomever was orchestrating this nightmare. "You know what? _**Fuck you**_. I'm not taking them through those rooms. I'm not putting them through that. This isn't about them. This isn't about me." I stopped, taking a couple harsh breaths, and adjusting my grip on the angel blade. " _Where is he?_ " I yelled, wincing at the shrill tone reverberating in my head.

Seriously - my head was _killing_ me, most likely adding to the frustration.

The tugging became insistent. Gasping, I clutched at my chest, staggering back a step or two.

Dad took hold of my arm, steadying me as I doubled over. "Easy…"

"The spell," I gasped. "It's getting a little...pushy…"

Bobby stepped close. "Missy, maybe we should just go where it wants us to go."

"No," I snarled, yanking my arm out of Dad's grasp, forcing myself to stand up. A jolt of pain shot through my chest and head, and without warning, the scenery changed.

We were outside, in that ruined Hell city where Cas found me. The pain ended abruptly, and we all froze, weapons ready, on highest alert. My heartbeat sounded so loud in my head, I swore everyone heard it.

Then again, everyone probably thought that.

"What the fuck…" Sam choked, stepping back and taking Dean with him.

We all turned. There, by a ruined building, stood a Hellhound.

Correction, _an immense, shimmering, black-as-night_ Hellhound.

"Oh, Jesus Christ…" I murmured, holding up the blade and carefully stepping in front of Bobby, who had no weapon against a beast like this.

"It's...it's _huge!_ " Sam couldn't take his eyes off it.

"She _is_ a decent size," Cas agreed, head tilted and eyes narrowed as he assessed this new situation.

" _What's_ huge?" Dean asked."I don't see anything!"

Uh…

"Me either. What are you looking at? What's there?" Dad squinted in the right direction, but apparently had nothing to focus on.

Oh, shit.

 _Wait…_

"Sam? You - you can see it?"

"See _what?_ " Bobby growled, turning his head in all directions.

 _Fuck_.

Sam's eyes darted to me before answering. "There's an enormous... _dog_...right over there. How can you not see it?"

Castiel slowly faced him. "It's a Hellhound, and I'm curious as to how _you_ can see it."

"Hellhound?!" Dad exclaimed, frantically trying to locate it. "No one here made a deal - how can you see it?"

Cas glanced at me. "Kate and I are able to see them. I was unaware that Sam also had this ability."

Sam's eyes widened, wild around the edges. "I had no idea!"

" _Maybe the demon blood?_ " I thought-asked Cas, not really wanting to bring _that_ into this.

I hadn't been one hundred percent truthful about how I was able to see Hounds. The only backdoor excuse I had, was that I wasn't one hundred percent sure it was from angel grace. Still, the time to fess up the whole grace thing was getting closer by the second.

" _Perhaps_ ," he answered. Continuing out loud, "John - I believe it would be best if you gave the Kurdish knife to Sam, since he can see the Hellhound."

Even though my attention was locked on the dog, I felt Dad's hesitation. Give up the only weapon that could potentially kill something in "Hell"? Not gonna happen easily. But when the Hound took a couple steps toward us, being on the fence wasn't an option.

Sam motioned urgently with his hand. "Give it to me, Dad. It's coming this way."

With a huff, Dad handed it over, but he was clearly not happy about it.

Cas, Sam and I formed a barrier of sorts in an attempt at defensive maneuvering. The Hound continued its overly casual saunter, accented with an almost bored yawn.

"Cas…?" Sam asked, in a small voice. I could hear him swallowing.

"Don't provoke it. I don't know what it - "

The Hound stopped, turning its nose into the air, sniffing something. It leveled a gaze at me, seeming to... _smile_.

I narrowed my eyes at it.

It tilted its head, sniffing more.

It must've whiffed something good, because suddenly, it stood to attention, nose twitching, eyes focused in the distance.

Facing me once again, I swear to God - it winked. It fucking _winked_.

"Did it...did it just _wink?_ " Oh good, I wasn't crazy, Sam saw it, too.

The Hound's stare bored through me, making me squirm. "What the hell does it - "

Then I figured it out. The Hound sat back on its haunches, as if congratulating me for finally catching up.

" _Adam_ ," I whispered, bile rising into my throat. "It smells Adam."

It made a show of stretching, before shooting me a smug look, and tearing off across the street.

" _Fuck!"_ I yelped, bolting after it. Obviously, I didn't run as fast as a Hellhound, but the spell's tugging was back, guiding me through the ruins. It would've been so helpful to have a Supernatural GPS the last time.

Behind me, there was swearing and the sound of feet pounding against the dirt, as four men and an angel scrambled to catch up.

Heart thumping, I poured all my strength into each step, pushing myself to _move faster._ This time, I didn't need to manage a soul, only keep my grip on the angel blade.

I could do that.

Everything else became a blur as I followed both the spell's direction and the fleeting glimpses of the Hound as it ran ahead.

I have no idea how long or far we ran. I barely paid attention to the scenery - I was too focused on not tripping over stray rocks and making sure I ran the right way.

The spell forced me to the right, so I turned a corner and promptly slid to a halt, losing my balance and ending up in the dirt.

Up ahead, the Hound loomed over a body.

Someone helped me to my feet. The firm grip, followed by downy pressure around my shoulders, had me sighing in relief, in-between gasping for air.

The Hound, blinked languidly, pointedly between my brother and me.

Oh, _hell_ no.

I held up my blade, mustering all the badassery I could into my voice. "I killed one of you already. Get away from him, or I'll kill you, too." The whole _this isn't real_ part wasn't clicking right then. The threat made me feel better, so I went with it, because all I saw was that body, huddled on the ground, and _this_ rescue merged with _that_ rescue, and it was a jumbled bag of _Nonono - not again!_

I took a step toward them.

" _Kate!_ " Dad grated, insistent and panicked, unable to get closer because, _right_ , no weapon.

Sam was at my side in an instant, still catching his breath, but knife up and ready.

Everything inside screamed to save Adam, to get out, to get to the boat, to go back to the Bunker, to finish the Trial. My chest heaved, my head filled with a piercing shriek, and just when I thought I would _completely lose my shit._..

The Hound sat down. " _Thank you for sharing your story, Kate. It was very...enlightening. No wonder your brothers were so proud._ "

Then it just...disappeared. There was this _whooshing_ sound, and...nothing.

 _Whatever_ \- it was gone. The sensation of being untethered triggered me to drop the blade and run to Adam's side. Kneeling in the dirt, crying, my hands hovered over his body, afraid to touch him.

What if he didn't know me?

"Adam?" I whimpered, forcing myself to barely touch his shoulder. On his own, Adam rolled over, his eyelids fluttering open.

"...Kate?" He rasped, curling in a ball to cough up a lung.

I did this classy choking-sobbing-laughing thing, pulling him to me, crying harder when he gripped me back.

The others were talking, things were apparently happening, but I didn't give a shit. We found him, he was alive, and he knew who I was.

"Okay...okay...we have to go...we have to get to the boat…"

Dad knelt beside me, gently prodding my shoulder. "Kate...give him to me, and let's get back to the car."

"Boat...you mean boat. Daddy, we don't have much time...and I don't...I don't know which way to go...I have to finish the Trial...get Adam to his mom...we have to - "

"Kate…" Dad's hands cupped my chin, pulling me to face him.

Him.

 _Wait_.

He's not supposed to be here.

Or…

 _Shit_.

Blinking, I looked around. Bare trees, branches stretching to the sky, swayed in the wind. The wet and spongy ground squished under my feet as I twisted to see the worried faces of my family. Dad nodded over my head at Dean, who crouched next to me, prying my hands from Adam's jacket.

"C'mon, kiddo...let's go home."

Swallowing hard, I reluctantly let go, allowing Dad to begin a quick assessment of any injuries. Dean got me to my feet, murmuring... _something_...while checking _me_ over.

Other than a hideous cough and a fever, Adam seemed fine, with only bruises and scrapes all over his body. I guessed he'd been lying on the cold, wet ground, hurt and sick, while we tramped around playing "Appreciate My Experiences".

Reaching up, I gingerly touched my cheek, noting that while the bandages were still in place, there was nothing to bandage.

" _Cas?_ " No answer.

"Where's Cas?" I mumbled into Dean's shoulder.

He shrugged, jostling my face. "Dunno - he disappeared right after we reached Adam."

 _Great_.

Sam appeared at my other side, and together we went back to the boat.

 _Not_ boat...car.

 _Car_.

'Cuz this wasn't real.

Got it.

Bobby held open the Impala's back door. "Put him in here, John. It'll be more comfortable."

Nodding a thanks, Dad carefully set Adam in the back seat, while Dean grabbed a couple blankets from the trunk, gesturing for me to follow suit.

Once we were both tucked in, I gathered Adam into my arms, and waited for Dean to take us home.

 **xxxxx**

Five hours was a decent chunk of time to process everything. I was beyond exhausted, but my brain was too wired to let me sleep.

Dean kept the music low, he and Sam murmuring occasionally during a musical lull. Adam made the most noise; that fucking cough wracked his body until he could barely catch his breath. The fever stayed in check, thankfully.

My plan was to ask Cas to heal him, but several attempts at communicating proved fruitless. So in the absence of angelic powers, I rubbed his back and handed over tissues when needed.

Which was pretty much the entire ride.

"Try and get some sleep," I coaxed, after the first hour.

Adam just shook his head, coughing, hand twisting in my jacket, burrowing closer.

"Hey...I've got you. Not letting you out of my sight, okay? You need to rest. Dean and Sam are here, too...you're safe. I promise." Shifting my hold on him, I squeezed him tight, before fussing with the blanket, making sure he was completely covered.

It took another hour, but he eventually fell asleep.

 **xxxxx**

By the time we got back to Sioux Falls, it was dark, my head was full of speculation and still no word from Castiel.

I gently woke Adam, and with Bobby's help, got him inside and up the stairs. The haunted look in his eyes wasn't the haunted look of a hunter...it was one of a victim, and it made me cry.

We got him cleaned up and in bed with a bottle of water, some medicine, and as many thick blankets as we could find. He still wasn't saying much, and no one was pushing. I sat with him as he fell asleep, head in my lap, hand in mine.

Bobby leaned against the doorframe, whispering, "Kate - go get a shower."

Not taking my eyes off Adam, I answered, "Don't need to."

He sighed. "Then how about changing into something more comfortable?"

"No…"

A huff. "At least go take a piss. Jesus, Kate - "

"I don't need a shower, I don't need to change, I don't need anything," I snapped. "I'm not leaving him, so quit asking me to." I understood the underlying plea in his words. _Come downstairs. Sit with us. Ground yourself. We want to help._

But I wasn't ready to face anyone. Nowhere _near_ ready.

A shift in stance told me Bobby was bristling at my words, but it wasn't long before worry overshadowed annoyance. For a couple seconds, guilt kinda crept in for snapping at him. But then I remembered Adam's body at the feet of the Hound, in the corner of The Cage, and guilt kinda flew out the door.

I needed to be here, and they had to understand that. They just did.

Still, Bobby didn't deserve my shit.

"I need to be here, Bobby. Just...just let me be here. _Please_."

Another sigh, this one deep and resigned. He didn't bother answering, instead just nodding and closing the door behind him as he left.

 _Finally_.

Returning my attention to Adam, I began threading my fingers through his hair, smiling when he snuggled closer.

How could I have let something happen to him?

" _You didn't_ _ **let**_ _anything happen, and you know it._ "

Looking up, there was Cas, in a corner, disheveled and looking severely pissed off.

I sat up a little. " _Hey! Are you okay?"_

Cas passed a hand through his hair, trying to tame his wild appearance. " _I've been better. I've never experienced a banishing sigil before. I am not interested in experiencing it again."_

" _It took me a bit, but I figured out that's what happened. Where'd you end up?"_

He made a face. " _ **Very**_ _far away."_ Nicely vague.

Cas gestured at Adam. " _His temperature is mildly elevated, there is an infection in his chest and he has some cuts and bruising."_

I nodded, placing a hand on Adam's head. " _Yeah, that's what we thought."_

Cas walked over, placing two fingers on Adam's temple. Adam took a deep breath, stretched, and continued sleeping. " _He is fine, now. At least, physically."_

Before he moved his hand away, I covered it with mine, squeezing gently. " _Thank you."_

He squeezed back. " _Of course. I apologize for not being here sooner. I shouldn't have let - "_

" _Hey - you didn't_ _ **let**_ _yourself be banished. You were banished. Not like you could've stopped it. I should know."_

He sighed, perching on the edge of the bed, my hand still in his.

" _Listen_ ," I continued. " _I've given this a lot of thought. I think an angel was behind all of this._ "

Cas nodded, eyes flat, yet sad. " _Yes, that thought crossed my mind as well. I'm not sure what else would have the power or knowledge to do it. I suppose it could have been a witch, but - "_

" _But we know angels hate me,"_ I finished. Drama much?

" _Not all angels hate you."_

I smiled at him.

" _I planned on speaking...or trying to speak...to Michael about this, but...I wanted to see you, first."_

" _What do they want with me now, Cas?"_ The question came out a little whinier than I wanted, but I didn't care. I was beyond tired, beyond worried for my family.

Cas brought my hand to his lips, before pressing it to his cheek. " _I don't think Uriel is behind this. He was under strict orders from Michael to leave you alone - he would not disobey. I will investigate, and see what I can discover. In the meantime…"_

I sighed. " _In the meantime, I need to protect everyone in this house."_

Cas looked up sharply gesturing at me with our hands. " _That includes you."_

" _I'm the cause of the danger they're in. If it weren't for me, Adam wouldn't have been taken. Someone is fucking with me, and hurting them in the process. This time was Adam. What about next time? Even you're not safe from that, Cas."_

Our eyes locked. " _You realize that if you ward this house, you will suffer ill effects while inside because of my grace."_

Swallowing, I nodded. " _I know. But, hey - can't be as bad as after the second Trial, right?"_

Oh, hey...he didn't look sure about that. _Sweet_.

I sighed. " _I have no other choice, Cas. If you need me, you'll have to use the phone or knock on the door like...like a human."_

Letting go of my hand, he breathed a laugh. " _And if_ _ **you**_ _need_ _ **me**_ …"

" _I'll go outside. Which...depending on how bad I feel, may be often."_

" _Outside, you won't have - "_

" _I know."_

Cas slowly stood, pacing a little, hands on his hips. "I don't like this plan," he said out loud.

"If you have a better one, I'm all ears."

Oh God, he actually snuck a peek to make sure I wasn't literally all ears. I fucking _love_ him.

"I don't." He sighed again. "I can't help you set up the wards. Do you know which symbols to use, and where to put them?"

"Yeah...Sam taught them to me." He raised an eyebrow. "My other Sam."

Castiel made an " _Ahhh…_ " face.

It fell quiet, as the reality of the situation settled on us. We were told to stay apart, and we were doing a pretty good job of it. Well, excepting this disaster. But the wards would put an additional barrier between us.

I didn't like it, either.

Cas stood still, head tilted, and I knew exactly what was coming next.

"Time to leave, huh?"

Nodding, Cas said, "When the sigil was triggered, it was heard by others in Heaven. It has a distinctive...ring. They do not know who was banished, so there is a general summons for angels on Earth. I must go."

"What're you gonna tell them?"

He smiled a little. "I thought I'd let them talk first, then figure it out from there."

I laughed. "You're learning."

Cas smiled. "I am. And you need to rest."

I dug the heel of one hand into my eye. "I know. But I can't...my brain won't shut down."

In a flash, Cas was at my side, fingers against my cheek. "Luckily, I can flip you off."

Sleep pulled at me before I could correct him.


	8. Chapter 8

As Adam woke, details paraded through his mind in slow motion, like a horrible movie. Needing assurance, he cracked open one eye, and found himself surprised at a few things.

He wasn't in any pain. In fact, he felt pretty good.

He wasn't coughing. The burn in his chest and the nagging tickle in his throat was gone.

He was currently a little spoon.

 _...Huh_.

It took all of a second to recognize that waking up a little spoon in a warm bed was infinitely better than waking up sick on the cold, wet ground waiting to be taunted by a shifter who looked like you.

The memory evoked a tremor, expanding into a whole round of shivering that couldn't be brought under control no matter how hard he tried. The big spoon responded immediately, pulling him close, offering body heat, comfort and support that instantly quelled the anxiety.

Adam knew Kate was that spoon, keeping him safe, making sure he was okay.

He _wasn't_ okay, but he was certainly better than before.

Adam remembered being rescued, how hysterically she babbled about getting to a boat and that she didn't know where to go, her voice full of panic and desperation. He tried to console her, that he was okay, but all he could do was cough endlessly while submitting to his father's scrutiny.

A shift in position, brought her arm around him, and he caught a glimpse of the underside as it moved. That scar...the six inch jagged one...faced him. Above it was a second mark, recent, not as long, but just as ugly. Curious, Adam scooched her arm, so he could examine them more closely.

The older mark rose a good quarter inch off her skin, hideous and crooked. Swallowing, he realized he never stopped to look at it, to really think about what it meant...what it symbolized. His eyes traveled up and down its length, taking in every detail, from its shiny pink hue to the smooth texture. He lightly traced the raised skin, marveling at what she did.

"Hard to believe you fit in there," she murmured, angling her arm for an even better view. "You're such a big boy now."

Adam snorted, tears prickling. "I can't even...I mean, I don't know how… _you_...it's...it's so...fucking…" He took a deep breath. "... _crooked_. Worst cutting I've ever seen. Next time, use a ruler or...something."

Kate smothered soft laughter into his hair. "I was in a bit of a hurry. Function beat form on this one."

"Yeah, well."

"Well."

Adam ghosted his fingers over the second cut. With an odd detachment, he noted that it should've been doused with something antibacterial and wrapped. "And this?"

Kate swallowed hard. "I did it to find you."

Adam sighed. "Kate…"

She tightened her hold on him. "Shut up."

Tears filled his eyes, and Adam hugged her back.

 **xxxxx**

 _ **Kate…**_

I bit my lip when Adam gripped my arm. He was hugging...I _knew_ he was hugging...but _holyfuck_ did it hurt.

" _Shit_...sorry! I... _shit…_ "

Excellent, he figured it out. "It's okay, Adam." That's what I said, but in truth the cut _seared_. "But if you could find a different spot to grab…"

Swearing again, Adam released me, at least enough to conduct another examination. "Seriously, Kate, tell me what happened."

Because I _am_ a Winchester, I deflected. "What do you remember?"

Huffing, Adam swallowed, sorting through what to say, his fingers lightly tracing my scar. "I remember...I remember someone who looked like me doing a lot of kicking and hitting. I remember being cold and wet, probably developing an awesome case of pneumonia. I remember hearing a dog howling. I remember…" He took a breath. "I remember you, holding me up, talking about a boat. Then Dad was checking me over and we were in the car coming home."

He tried to shrug nonchalantly, like this was no big deal, but I knew better. The whole-body tremor hadn't really stopped, and I didn't think he realized he was pressing against me, like he needed proof I was really there.

Smoothing down his hair, I pulled him close, planting a kiss above his ear. "Hey, _hey_...it's okay. You're home, you're safe. They - " I almost said _they can't hurt you anymore_ , but who was I kidding? It _never_ occurred to me he'd be taken in the first place, so I had _no_ idea what _they_ would do. Instead, I finished with, "The shifter's dead. I promise. "

There. That was...totally not much better, but at least I didn't lie.

Mental note to help patch the kitchen wall.

Adam sighed, long and slow, melting against the pillow, sinking into me. "They were after you, weren't they?"

Well, shit. I didn't want to discuss this with him, especially since I hadn't run my theory of an angel being responsible by Dad yet.

"Kate?"

Double fuck.

"I dunno, Adam. Really, I don't. What matters is that you're safe, so I'm focusing on that."

He sighed again, and we stayed in bed, holding each other.

 **xxxxx**

 _ **Not Kate…**_

Sam paced the kitchen, one eye on the doorway, one ear locked on the stairs, waiting for the footsteps of a younger sibling. _Either_ younger sibling. He wasn't feeling picky.

"Sit down, Sam. You're makin' me crazy." Bobby punctuated the request by kicking a chair away from the table so Sam could sit.

Before Sam spouted off a reason why pacing was a better option than chewing on fingernails while seated, Adam hesitantly walked in, eyes darting everywhere, arms hugging himself.

" _Heyyyy_...how're you feeling?" Sam reached out to help...help Adam walk? He didn't know. He just needed to _do_ something.

Adam hesitantly smiled, running a hand through his hair. "Good, actually. I guess Castiel healed me while I was sleeping."

Bobby raised an eyebrow, standing up to get a closer look. "Yeah? No more cough?" He felt Adam's neck, checked over his arms where some cuts and bruises were discovered the night before. "Huh...angel healing comes in handy, I guess. Where's Kate?"

Adam thumbed over his shoulder. "Shower."

"Good," was all Bobby said, but the _way_ he said it sparked Adam's curiosity.

"Why? She didn't stink or anything…"

Bobby's eyes flickered to Sam before flapping a hand at Adam. "Nothing, son. She just...it's good that she's takin' care of herself." He poured fresh coffee into his mug. "You want some?"

"Uh...yeah, actually. Thanks. I, um, was hoping someone would... _what the hell_ happened here?" He pointed, open-mouthed, at a hole in the wall.

Sam stammered, "Oh, uh, it was...a...Bobby?"

"A Bobby?" Adam drawled.

Bobby rolled his eyes at Sam. _Chickenshit - he's not a baby_. "The shifter came here, pretending to be you. Kate got a little... _pissed_ at it."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"She pinned it to the wall with a knife through its arm," Sam blurted in a rush. Chickenshit his ass.

The other eyebrow rose, as Adam took a closer look. "Are you _serious?_ That's...I mean, that doesn't sound like her…"

"We know, son." Bobby poured another mug of coffee, gesturing for Adam to sit.

Sensing an opportunity, Adam sat in his chair and began the questions. "What happened, exactly? I mean, last thing I remember was saying goodbye to the guys. Next thing I knew, I was on the ground freezing my ass off being picked on by…" He lost steam here, tucking into his coffee to hide his discomfort and unease.

Sam sat next to him. "It's okay, Adam. We're...we're not exactly sure how they got you or why." His eyes flickered to Bobby. "Whoever or whatever did this had access to Kate's memories of going to Hell to rescue you in that alternate reality. We think it had more to do with that than anything."

A chill shot down Adam's spine, making him shiver. She never said anything about that. He whispered, "What do you mean?"

Bobby cleared his throat. "It seems we were thrown into an illusion, making Kate go through all the motions of entering the Cage to find you. She had to cast a locating spell - "

"That's how she got that second cut?"

Bobby nodded. "And she tracked you. We don't know whether the spell actually worked, or if that was part of the illusion. Either way, she led us to you."

Adam processed this. "That explains why she acted the way she did. She kept saying something about a boat…?"

Sam sighed. "Yeah, Charon's boat was the one that took her through Hell. She kept thinking she was really back there. Judging from her reaction, your other you was really messed up when she found him. She was definitely...confused."

Well, _that_ was a conversation stopper.

"You sure you're okay?" Adam looked up at Bobby. He saw the hopeful gleam in the old hunter's eyes, but they both knew the truth. No, he wasn't okay. As an added bonus, Adam was now more worried about Kate.

Embracing the number one family trait, he dodged the question, curling and uncurling his fingers around the coffee mug. "Where's Dean and Dad?"

"Garage. They're working on your car." Bobby shrugged, coffee mug on his lips. "Coping mechanism."

Adam opened his mouth in an _Ahhh_ shape.

Under the table, Sam's leg bounced impatiently, his eyes darting to the stairway every few seconds. Adam knew Sam was desperate to check in with their sister, and although he really wanted to go back to the cocoon of safe she offered earlier, he also knew it'd be good for _her_ to be with Sam. So he did the next best thing.

"You said Dean's in the garage?"

 **xxxxx**

When Adam stepped outside, Dad's truck was turning onto the road, dust from the driveway gravel still hovering in thick clouds. With a shiver, he pulled his hoodie tight, folded his arms, and entered the garage, relaxing instantly at the familiar clanging of tools and barrage of bitching.

"Fuckin' thing...I _told_ Dad this was a piece of shit. Get a Chevy, I said. This model will have problems, I said. Did he listen? _Nooooooooope_. Because what the fuck do I know?" His car sat with its hood up, a Winchester's ass muttering from the right side.

A wrench was casually tossed into a standing toolbox, accented with a grunt from Dean when it hit the others.

"Hiya," Adam said hesitantly. When Dean looked up, Adam offered a timid wave, stepping closer to see what was broken. Gesturing feebly, he asked, "What's wrong with her, now?"

Embarrassed, Dean stood up, reaching into his back pocket for a bandana. "Uh...nothing, actually." He wiped his hands, leaning against the frame, jaw cinched to the side.

"Then…?"

Dean shoved the cloth in his pocket with a huff. "We're just...tinkering. Damn thing's running fine. Dad needed something to do, so we're replacing shit that don't need replacing." He half shrugged, eyes flickering to Adam before refocusing on the car. "How're you feeling?"

Adam smiled. "You don't wanna examine me yourself?" He could see the battle on his brother's face as he picked up another tool and began randomly fiddling.

Another shrug. "Figured you already went through that with Kate and Bobby. If something was wrong, they'd have said something." He gave Adam a closer look. "Cas healed you?"

Adam nodded, swallowing.

Dean nodded back. "That shit comes in handy."

"Yeah…"

Adam moved until he was standing next to Dean, watching the piddling. Deft hands moved from part to part, wrenching, uncapping, checking, wiping...doing nothing, really. When Dean draped an arm (casually) across Adam's shoulders, Adam realized how closely they stood, how comforting it was.

Dean gave the shoulder a quick squeeze before reaching out with his foot to drag over a rolling board. He plopped down and disappeared under the car. "You know, after I got taken by the Djinn, it took a while before I felt like I could hunt. Hand me that half-inch socket, will ya?"

Adam passed the tool into the outstretched arm, resting against the car, hanging onto every word. "But you _did_ hunt right away...and didn't you try to leave alone for a pretend hunt?"

He heard a muffled grunt and a soft curse. "Yeah, but I didn't feel like I _could_. I had a... _real_ strong need to run. _Fuck_...three-eighths socket…" A greasy hand poked out with the half-inch part, only to disappear again, clutching the new prize. "It sucked - getting taken, feeling powerless, _needing_ that rescue, knowing that my job is to fuckin' hunt monsters, but I didn't even want to go get gas by myself." _Not knowing if I could look you in the eyes ever again._

Adam swallowed, his throat tightening. Forcing calm, he asked, "So, what'd you do?"

The puttering noises stopped. "I kept going. I trusted you guys. Killed a Black Dog with this sweet shot and I realized...shit's gonna happen. Can't stop it. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna just piss and moan about it. Sam killed the fucker for me. I'm gonna get the next one."

The noises continued, giving Adam a moment to think, a second to wipe his eyes. He peered through the window at Bobby's house... _their_ house. Kate killed the fucker for him. He'd help them get the next one. The real one behind it all.

He scuffed his shoe on the floor. "Soooo...how _do_ you kill a Black Dog?"

Dean wheeled out, a huge grin on his face. "C'mon. I'll show you."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _ **One more Snippets chapter to go, with Sam. Then it's on to the (real) sequel.**_

 _ **Also...I realize fans want to see certain interactions play out between characters. As a writer, if those interactions aren't authentic, I can't write them. Dean cuddling wasn't gonna happen, no matter how pretty the picture. I know that bugs some, but it has to feel real (ugh, rhyme) to make it in the story.**_

 _ **Those who wanted more Adam whumping, I have 2 on deck for the H/C series, so stay tuned. Time to write is just not as plentiful as it used to be, but I didn't forget. :)**_


	9. Chapter 9

Sam watched his dad reluctantly shove some file folders into a satchel.

Since when did John Winchester carry around a satchel?

Since his girlfriend bought him a worn leather one, complete with iron buckles and wardings strategically branded on the inside. _That's_ when.

Sam inwardly shook his head at how different their lives got in just one year. He realized that while he still hated hunting, still hated being a pawn in the Supernatural game, it was way better than he ever thought possible.

"You sure you're gonna be okay? I can just send Dean and Bobby. Or maybe you can get her to come with? Ellen'd love the chance to - "

" _Dad_. We'll be fine. She's so far off right now...I don't think hanging at The Roadhouse will be helpful."

John paused, one hand fiddling with a buckle on his bag. "Yeah, but Ash has those omen patterns, and Jimmy has word on that weird shit in Montana…"

Sam sighed, one hand buried in his hair. "Believe me, Dad, no one wants to hear about those demon omens more than me. I'm just…" He paused to glance toward the second floor. "This whole thing with Adam really fucked her up. I can't leave her."

" _I_ can stay with her," came a growly voice from behind, laced with annoyance and frustration.

Rolling his eyes, Sam turned to face his brother. " _Dean_. We went over this already. You - "

Dean flapped a hand at him dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. She needs to talk. I'm bad at the talking. You took a whole psychology course in school and passed. _Whatever_. She's upset, and you can't blame her for that."

Sam splayed his hands. "No one's blaming her for anything, Dean. I'm saying she needs therapy, and it's not like we can take her to someone and have a guarantee that she won't be locked up somewhere."

John stood quietly. The bristling he felt at not even being _considered_ for this job had long passed. If anyone in this house was the worst at talking it out... _well_. He let his boys go back and forth for a few minutes - Dean lobbing little potshots at being left out, and Sam patiently defending what was already decided, somehow restraining from whining, " _It's_ _ **My**_ _Turn With Her"_.

When it looked like Dean was about to step it up a notch, John stepped in. " _Enough_. We _did_ already go over this. Dean - you're with me. I want _your_ backup in case something goes wrong." John held his breath. Luckily, Sam didn't take the usual offense, instead recognizing John's not-so-subtle version of manipulation.

Dean's eyes flickered to John before rolling. "Yeah, okay." He pointed at Sam. "If you need me back here, _call_. You understand?"

Sam nodded, knowing enough to keep his mouth shut.

John pulled him in for a quick hug. "Take care of her. We'll be back in a couple days." He flashed a smile at Dean before heading out back.

Once alone, Dean dragged a hand down his face. "Seriously, you're _really_ okay not getting this intel first hand?"

Sam shrugged. "No? But what other choice do we have? We don't know the guys Jimmy knows, and if anyone can blend in with a group of hunters to get information, it's you."

Sighing heavily, Dean rocked on his heels. "Yeah, I know. And you're the best one to deal with her right now." He sighed again. "Okay. Just... _really_...call if you need something."

"We'll be fine, Dean. Go play the hunter's son."

"Shaddup, Dr. Phil."

 **xxxxx**

The combo throaty rumble of the Impala and John's truck sounded through the yard, the tires crunching the gravel on their way down the drive.

Kate joined Sam at the window, watching them leave.

"You sure about this?" Sam asked, wincing because he just spent a half hour defending " _this"_ a few minutes ago.

Kate's tired eyes swiveled up to his. "Absolutely. Why? You having second thoughts? You can call Dean and - "

Sam gently cuffed her on the head. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"We're gonna tell them as soon as they get back, Sam. I'm not interested in secrets. I know damn well how _that_ works out in this family." Sam arched an eyebrow at that. She shook her head. "Nevermind. Point is, they'd never let me do what needs to be done in order to keep them safe. That blindness is not an option right now. We're asking forgiveness instead of permission. That's all."

"When has that ever worked in our favor?"

"Um...Stanford?"

He blinked at her.

"Look. I'm gonna be a mess either way. Does that help? We already had our sharefest - you know what's in my head. I can't sleep, eat, relax, _nothing_. When we're done, I probably still won't sleep, eat, or relax...but at least we'll be safe."

"You don't know that for sure." Sam stepped back from the window, arms folded in front. "Dean's gonna be _so_ pissed that we didn't tell him."

Kate scoffed, "Dean'll forgive us. You'll moon eye him and I'll do my _I've Been To Hell, Pity Me_ routine."

Sam huffed. "What about Cas? He - "

"You know Cas agrees with me. He doesn't like it, but he knows I'm right."

They stared at each other.

Sam's hands dropped in defeat. "Show me these angel wards."

 **xxxxx**

The next two days were spent carefully warding the house, yard, and garage. Various anti-angel and demon sigils, learned from her stint with her _other_ Winchester brothers, were strategically placed, hidden from view. The goal was to have multiple layers of protection, in case one was discovered and destroyed.

Cas even showed up for a little while, offering direction and support. Sam could see the longing in the angel's eyes, but what was he supposed to do? It wasn't like he could set his sister up on a date forbidden by Heaven.

Satisfied with their work, they lounged on the porch swing, watching the sun slowly cross the horizon in preparation for a spectacular sunset.

Technically, they were _sprawled_ on the swing, Kate practically using Sam as a mattress, his long legs gently rocking them back and forth.

"Any better?" He asked, brushing her hair off his face.

She turned and nestled against him. "I'm getting used to it. It's like...it's like after the first Trial. Limbs buzzing a little, headache...nothing major."

Sam huffed. "That's kinda major, Kate."

She shrugged. "Major is relative. Compared to how I felt during the third Trial, this is great."

He sighed. It wasn't an argument he could win, and he knew it.

Kate poked him. "And you? Is the headache from that demon sigil still there?"

He shrugged. "It's okay."

She growled, " _Sam_."

"It's in the base of my skull rather than my eyes. Better than when I was next to it."

"Maybe we don't - "

"It _stays_ , Kate."

She sighed. It wasn't an argument she could win, and she knew it.

His arms around her, Sam continued rocking, and together they watched the sunset, waiting for their family to come home.

 **xxxxxxxxx**

 _ **Okay...this is the official end of Snippets. As in, no more Snippets. I have a few loose ends to wrap up with other stories, then I'll start the third in the Quantum series, Mesh. Which...yeah, was supposed to be started in December.**_

 _ **Lalalalala...**_


End file.
